Parasitology 2 Flashcards
Describe Isospora suis
- Coccidian
- Causes coccidiosis
- Very few needed to cause clinical symptoms
- Infection from environment main source
- Oocysts very resistant to external influences
Describe the life cycle of Isospora suis
- Sporogeny
- Ingestion of sporulated oocyst
- Excystation ofoocyst and release of sporozoites
- Schizogeny
- Release of merozoites
- Invade epithelial ells
- Repeat process
- Gametogony
- Oocyst formation
Describe the process of sporogony
- The development of a non-infectious oocyst to an infectious one
- Produce sporocysts
- Asecual preorduction
- Occurs outside host
- Infection only occurs when sporulated oocyst is ingested
Describe the process of schizogony
- Once ingested bile salts and digestive enzymes cause wall to be eroded
- Release and activate sporozoites
- Penetrate intestinal villus epithelium
- Asexual reproduction occuring endogenously
- Trophozoites form, asexual division produces first stage merozoites
- Rupture and enter lumen
What happens to first stage merozoites after they are released
- Invade new cells
- Repeat asexual reproduction to produce second generation merozoites
What happens to the second generation merozoites?
- Can continue invasion and production of merozoites
- Or undergo gametogony
- Sexual division occuring endogenously
- Merozoites differentiate into micro or macrogamont
- Micro into macro leads to fertilisation
Describe oocyst formation
- Macrogametocyte fertilised by micro
- Macro contains wall forming body 1 (WFB1) and wall forming body 2 (WFB2)
- WFB1 forms outer layer of oocyst
- WFB2 forms inner layer
- Oocyst shed in faeces adn begins to sporulate
Describe the clinical symptoms caused by Isospora suis
- Diarrhoea
- High morbidity, low mortality
- Unresponsive to antibiotic treatment
- Pasty watery faeces
- Uneven weight gain, pigs hairy
- Longer time taken to reach final weight
How is the pathology caused?
- Damage to villi due to action of oocysts, reducing absorption and promoting bacterial overgrowth
- Degree of coccidiosis seems not be dependent on number of oocysts ingested
Describe the immunity to Isospora suis
- Strong degree of resistance to reinfection
- Resistance not transferred in colostrum
- Age related resistance
- 3 day old piglets more susceptible than 19 day old piglets
- Age related development (maturation) of innate immune system important
Describe the control and treatment of Isospora suis
- Treat with Baycox
- Good hygiene of pens, avoid mixing age groups
- Resistant to disinfection!
Describe the epidemiology of Ascaris suum
- Global significance
- Often seen in summer
- Greatest effect on pig growth 3-6months of age
- Over 4 months some degree of resistance
- Adults shed low numbers of eggs
- Major economic loss at slaughter
Describe the effects of Ascaris suum
- Milk spots on liver
- Fibrosis caused by migrating larvae
Explain how Ascaris suum can be monitored
- Abattoir monitoring
- Worm egg count in faeces
- In abattoir look for liver damage
Explain why worm egg counts may not be accurate for Ascaris suum
- Egg laying intermittent
- May not be detected in single samplings
What anthelmintics are effective in treating Ascaris suum?
- Avermectins
- Flubendazole
- Fenbendazole
Compare Ascaris suum in housed vs free-range pigs
- More in free range
- Will almost definitely be some infestation
- Inside easier to keep clean, need goo hygiene
- Burn old bedding
- Eggs and larvae survive longer in damp wet conditions
List important parasites of pigs
- Trichuris suis
- Oesophagostomum spp.
- Hyostrongylus rubidus
- Strongyloides ransomi
- Trichinella spiralis
- Ascaris suum
- Isospora suis
Describe Strongyloides ransomi
- Pig threadworm
- PPP 5-7 days
- Warm climate
- Free living forms
- Female can develop into infective L3s or can reproduce with males to produce more L1s
- Only females parasitic
- L3 not ensheathed
- Larvae do not survive well in dry conditions
- Sow infected via skin or mucous membranes of mouth
What causes the pathology in Strongyloides ransomi
- Larvae migration to intestine and burrowing
Describe the pathology caused by Strongyloides ransomi
- In adults similar signs to mange
- In piglet 10-14 days of age joint pain, coughing, bloody diarrhoea, anaemia
- Mortality can be very high
- Failure to thrive most usual sign
Describe the control of Strongyloides ransomi
- Clean and dry farrowing house
- Ivermectin 7-14 days prior to farrowing
Describe the life cycle of Strongyloides ransomi
- Ingest infective L3s
- Develop to L4
- Parasitic females
- Produce females and male L1s
- Males and females can either go straight to L2 and then infective L3 by direct development
- Or males and females can go on to L2, L3, L4 and then free living male
- These then mate to produce more L1s
- L1s then go to L2 and infective L3s
Describe Gasterophilus spp.
- Arthropod
- Stomach bots
- Flies look like small bumblebees
- Larvae overwinter and mature in stomach or small intestine
- Infection very common