Echinostomes are medically- and veterinary-important parasitic flatworms that invade humans, domestic animals and wildlife and also parasitize in their larval stages numerous invertebrate and cold-blooded vertebrate hosts. The interest in echinostomes in parasitology and general biology comes from several areas: (1) Human infections; (2) Experimental models; (3) Animal infections; (4) Systematics.

The application of novel techniques is moving the echinostomes to the frontline of parasitology in fields such as systematics, immunobiology in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms and proteomics among others.The Biology of Echinostomes demonstrates the application of new techniques to a group of trematodes that may serve to obtain information of great value in parasitology and general biology. The book includes basic topics, such as biology and systematics, as well as more novel topics, such as immunobiology, proteomics, and genomics of echinostomes. The authors of each chapter emphasize their content with: (i) the most novel information obtained; (ii) analysis of this information in a more general context (i.e. general parasitology); and (iii) future perspectives in view of the information presented. The subjects are analyzed from a modern point of view, considering aspects such as applications of novel techniques and an analysis of host-parasite interactions.

Echinostomes: systematics and life cycles.- Echinostomes and snails: exploring complex interactions..- Echinostomes in the second intermediate host.- Echinostomes in the definitive host: a model for the study of host-parasite relationships..- Maintenance, cultivation, and excystation of echinostomes: 2000-2007.- Echinostomes in the wild.- Echinostomes in humans.- Immunology and pathology of echinostome infections in the definitive host..- Echinostomes: genomics and proteomics.- Studies of echinostomes using chromatography and atomic spectrometry..- Effects of environmental change on helminth infections in amphibians: exploring the emergence of Ribeiroia and Echinostoma infections in North America..- Concurrent infections of echinostomes with helminths and protozoans.- Use of Echinostoma spp. in studies on chemotherapy and metabolic profiling..