Diphyllobothrium latum (2) Flashcards
What is the common name?
Broadfish tapeworm
What are the final hosts?
Humans
Fish-eating mammals
What are the intermediate hosts?
1st intermediate host: Copepod crustacean infected with procercoid
2nd intermediate host: Freshwater fish infected with plerocercoid
Describe adults
Up to 12 m long
Scolex with bothria
- Elongated muscular grooves that provide attachment by pinching
host tissue between them
Square shaped segments
Describe eggs
Operculate
60 micro m
Explain life cycle
Eggs excreted
Egg develops into coracidium
Coracidium ingested by first IH, a copepod crustacean and procercoid develops
Ingested by second IH to form plerocercoid
Final Host ingests infected second IH and adult tapeworms develop
What is the site of infection for adults?
Small intestine
What are the sites of infection for larvae?
Muscle
Viscera of fish
Describe the Pathogenesis
Adults may cause a macrocytic anemia because of uptake of vitamin B12 from intestine
Adults may be very pathogenic
- Extent controversial
How do you diagnose?
Eggs in feces
Can be confused with Fasciola hepatica, though half the size
How do you treat and prevent?
Cestocidals treat the adult tapeworms
Where infection common, avoid feeding fish products to domestic animals until thoroughly cooked
What is important about Diphyllobothrium latum?
It is ZOONOTIC
