Helminth Introduction

Question 1

What kind of parasites are helminths?

Answer 1

Endoparasites (like protozoa)

Question 2

What is the body shape of Acanthocephalans?

Answer 2

Long

Question 3

What is the body shape of nematodes?

Answer 3

Long

Question 4

What is the body shape of cestodes?

Answer 4

Segmented

Question 5

What is the body shape of trematodes?

Answer 5

Leaf-like

Question 6

What is coleomate?

Answer 6

There is a body cavity with mesoderm keeping everything in the right position

Question 7

What is pseudoceolomate?

Answer 7

Has a body cavity but the mesoderm only covers the inner lining so the internal organs are loosely in place

Question 8

What is acoelomate?

Answer 8

There is no body cavity, it is all parenchyma/tissue

Question 9

What are the acoelomates?

Answer 9

Trematodes

Cestodes

Question 10

What are the pseudocoelomates?

Answer 10

Nematodes

Acanthocephalans

Question 11

What kind of digestive tract do nematodes have?

Answer 11

Complete, they have a feeding mechanism and excretory mechanism

Question 12

What kind of digestive tract do trematodes have?

Answer 12

Partial digestive tract

They have a feeding mechanism but no excretory

Question 13

What kind of digestive tract do cestodes have?

Answer 13

They do not have a digestive tract

Question 14

What kind of digestive tract do acanthocephalans have?

Answer 14

They do not have a digestive tract

Question 15

Which helminths are dioecious?

Answer 15

Acanthoccephalans and

Nematodes

Question 16

Which helminths are monoecious?

Answer 16

Cestodes and Trematodes

Question 17

What are the general characteristics of nematodes?

Answer 17

Long, round, unsegmented
Pseudocoelomate
Complete digestive tract
Dioecious

Question 18

What are the general characteristics of cestodes?

Answer 18

Long, dorsoventrally flat, segmented
Acoelomate
Lack digestive tract
Monoecious

Question 19

What are the general characteristics of trematodes?

Answer 19

Dorsoventrally flattened, unsegmented
Acoelomate
Incomplete digestive tract
Monoecious (except for Schistosoma, which the make and female are separate but very close together)

Question 20

Why are the female and male Schistosoma very close together?

Answer 20

The female is very small and the male gives her a place to blood-feed and a way to get to where she needs to be safely

Question 21

What are the general characteristics of acanthocephalans?

Answer 21

Long, rounded, unsegmented
Pseudocoelomate
Lack digestive tract
Dioecious
Anterior spiny proboscis

Question 22

Is the female or male acanthocephalan larger?

Answer 22

Female

Question 23

What does the Acanthocephalan life cycle require?

Answer 23

An intermediate host

Question 24

What causes inflammation/pathology with Acanthocephalans?

Answer 24

Proboscis

Question 25

What is the definitive host of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 25

Swine (adult worms in small intestine)

Question 26

What is the intermediate host of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 26

Grubs (larvae)

Question 27

What is the zoonosis of Marcacanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 27

May be zoonotic

Question 28

What is the PPP of Marcanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 28

2-3 months

Question 29

What is the pathogenesis and clinical signs of Marcanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 29

Usually no clinical signs | Possible gastrointestinal signs (enteritis/pain, decrease in feeding or weight gain, diarrhea)

Question 30

What is the diagnosis of Marcanthorhynchus hirudinaceus?

Answer 30

Eggs in pig feces

Question 31

What is the definitive host of Macracanthorhynchus ingens?

Answer 31

Mainly raccoons, but occasional dogs

Question 32

What is the intermediate host of Macracanthorhynchus ingens?

Answer 32

Millipedes