Neonatal Parasitology

Question 1

What parasites cause disease on neonatal dogs?

Answer 1

1. toxocara canis
2. ancylostoma
3. neospora (rarely)

Question 2

What parasites cause disease in neonatal cats?

Answer 2

1. toxocara cati
2. toxoplasma gondii

Question 3

Route of infection for toxocara in puppies (4) and kittens (3)

Answer 3

puppies
* **transplacental **
* transmammary (if bitch is infected in late pregnancy or during lactation)
* ingestion
* paratenic hosts

kittens
* ingestion
* paratenic hosts
* transmammary (occurs when queen infected during lactation

Question 4

Clinical signs of toxocara

Answer 4

• respiratory disease (larval migration)
• GI signs (vomiting, failure to thrive, pot-belly)

Question 5

disease due to toxocara is more likely to be seen in…

Answer 5

older puppies and kittens

Question 6

Diagnosing toxocara

Answer 6

fecal float – PPP of 3 weeks

Question 7

What is the most important parasitic infection of neonatal puppies?

Answer 7

ancylostoma

Question 8

Ancylostoma routes of infection

Answer 8

1. skin penetration
2. transmammary (occurs mostly in first week of lactation)
3. ingestion
4. paratenic hosts

Question 9

Clinical signs of ancylostoma

Answer 9

• diarrhea, anemia, failure to thrive
• egg production doesn’t begin for about 14 days, but disease can develop during PPP

Question 10

What anthelminitic treatment is most commonly used in kittens and puppies?

Answer 10

pyrantel pamoate

Question 11

Diagnosing Ancylostoma

Answer 11

fecal float but not before 2 weeks of age

Question 12

Clinical signs of neospora

Answer 12

puppies can be still born or die soon after birth, but usually clinical signs are not seen until 3-9 weeks

Question 13

Cytoisospora in puppies/kittens

Answer 13

common in puppies and kittens, but not in neonatal period

Question 14

What parasite affects neonatal ruminants?

Answer 14

cryptosporidium

Question 15

What parasites affect neonatal pigs?

Answer 15

cystoisospora

Question 16

Transmission of cryptosporidium parvum

Answer 16

• calves infected within days of birth
• parasites infect cells of the ileum
• usually seen in calves from 1-4 weeks of age

Question 17

Cryptosporidium Clinical Signs

Answer 17

• profuse watery diarrhea
• anorexia and lethargy
• dehydration

Question 18

Diagnosing Cryptosporidium

Answer 18

• centrifugal fecal float, acid fast, IFA, PCR

Question 19

Control of cryptosporidium

Answer 19

• provide colostrum to calves with in a few hours of birth
• house calves individually or in smaller groups
• isolate calves with diarrhea
• sanitation
• remove manure

Question 20

What percent of calf diarrhea is parasitic?

Answer 20

> 50% of diarrhea in neonatal calves is caused by crypto

Question 21

Eimeria causes disease in ruminants of what age?

Answer 21

around one month old (not neonates)

Question 22

Route of infection of cystoisospora in pigs

Answer 22

oocyst ingestion from the farrowing pen

Question 23

Diagnosing cystoisopora in pigs

Answer 23

• fecal float
• mucosal scrapping on necropsy

Question 24

Clinical signs of cystoisospora in pigs

Answer 24

semi-liquid yellow feces without blood

Question 25

At what age are pigs commonly affected by cystoisospora?

Answer 25

5-15 day old pigs

Question 26

How does cystoisospora cause disease in pigs

Answer 26

• affects the jejunum and ileum cuasing catarrhal and necrotizing enteritis
• will cause fusion and blunting of villi

Question 27

Strongyloides transmission

Answer 27

transmammary

Question 28

Control of cystoisospora suis

Answer 28

good hygiene in farrowing pens