Which domestic ruminants are cited as the principal hosts responsible for shedding eggs into the environment?
Answer
Sheep and goats
While humans and other grazing animals can serve as definitive hosts, the text explicitly identifies domestic ruminants like sheep and goats as the principal hosts that maintain the parasite cycle in agricultural settings. These animals are the primary source of environmental contamination because their feces contain the operculated eggs, which are subsequently introduced into the soil where the first intermediate snail host resides. Although cattle are also hosts, the emphasis is placed on sheep and goats contributing significantly to the egg load in pastures.
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