PARASITOLOGY - Helminths Flashcards
What are the three helminth phylums?
- Nematodes (roundworms)
- Cestodes (flatworms/tapeworms)
- Trematodes (flukes)
Which phylum does the hookworm helminth belong to?
Nematode
How do hookworms infect their hosts?
Hookworms infect their hosts through penetration of the skin
What do hookworms produce which allows them to feed on the blood of their hosts?
Anti-coagulants
What is Wolbachia and how does it contribute to Dirofilaria (heartworm) treatment?
Wolbachia are a bacteria that live within female Dirofilaria parasites and are passed on through generations of Dirofilaria via the eggs produced. Antibiotics that are used to target Wolbachia eventually sterilise the female Dirofilaria and kill the worm
Why is the control of helminths with anthelmintic drugs so challenging (especially in livestock)?
- Limited numbers of anthelmintic drugs
- Rapid reinfection of the helminths
- ANTHELMINTIC RESISTANCE
(T/F) There are vaccines developed against helminths
FALSE. Helminths are very difficult to develop vaccines against due to being multicellular with very complex genomes
What type of lifecycle do most nematodes have?
Direct lifecycle
(T/F) Nematodes have male and female worms
TRUE
What does the pre patent period (PPP) mean?
The time taken between initial infection of a helminth and the production of eggs by the adult worms
What is a very common canine ascarid?
Toxocara Canis
Which phylum does the Toxocara Canis helminth belong to?
Nematode
What are the four possible routes of infection for Toxocara Canis?
- Oral (ingestion of eggs containing infectious L3 larvae)
- Transplacental
- Transmammary
- Paratenic hosts
Female Toxocara Canis worms are described to be very fecund. What does this mean?
The bodies of the female Toxocara Canis contain lots of ovaries so produce large numbers of eggs
Why does Toxocara Canis affect puppies under three months of age differently to adult dogs?
Toxocara Canis affects puppies under three months differently as these puppies are immune-naive whereas adult dogs have a developed immune system to control the infection
What is the infective form of Toxocara Canis?
L3 larvae
Describe the lifecycle of Toxocara Canis in puppies under three months old
- Eggs containing L3 larvae are ingested –>
- L3 hatch in the small intestine –>
- L3 migrate into the tissues and to the lungs via the liver –>
- L3 return to the small intestine via the trachea –>
- L3 develop into L4 larvae and then into adults in the small intestine –>
- Female Toxocara Canis adults produce eggs which are excreted into the environment in the faeces –>
Describe the lifecycle of Toxocara Canis in adult bitches
- Eggs containing L3 larvae are ingested –>
- L3 hatch in the small intestine —>
- L3 migrate to the tissues and go into arrest –>
- L3 activate in response to pregnancy (around 3 weeks pre-partum) –>
- L3 migrate across the placenta and into the foetal lungs –>
- At birth, L3 migrate to the small intestine of the puppy via the trachea –>
- L3 develop into L4 larvae and then into adults in the small intestine –>
- Female Toxocara Canis adults produce eggs which are excreted into the environment in the faeces –>
What is the pre patent period (PPP) of Toxocara Canis?
One month
Which stage in the Toxocara Canis lifecycle ensures 100% transmission of the parasite?
Transplacental transmission of L3 larvae into the foetal lungs
What makes Toxocara Canis eggs so challenging to destroy?
It has a thick, sticky egg shell that can allow it to survive for years in the environment
Puppies are commonly reinfected with Toxocara Canis at 5 weeks of age. Why is this the case?
Some of the T. canis parasites are transmitted 5 weeks later via transmammary transmission. This transmission has no migratory phase and instead adult worms develop in the small intestine directly after transmission
What contributes to the direct pathology and clinical signs of Toxocara Canis in puppies
- The pathology of T. canis is caused by gastrointestinal obstruction of the adult worms causing the puppies to be ‘pot-bellied’
- The T. canis adult worms also compete with the host for nutrients leading to weight loss
When should anthelmintics be used to treat Toxocara Canis?
Anthelmintics 16 days after birth and again at 5 weeks of age
What is a common feline ascarid?
Toxocara Cati
What are the three methods of transmission seen in Toxocara Cati?
- Oral (ingestion of eggs containing infectious L3 larvae)
- Transmammary
- Paratenic hosts
What does PGE stand for?
Parasitic gastroenteritis
What is the term ‘parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE)’ used to describe?
Parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE) is a general term used to describe disease caused by gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock
What causes the majority of the production losses associated with livestock gastrointestinal nematode infections?
Sub-clinical disease caused by nematode gastrointestinal infections due to the reduction in livestock weight gain
What is the most significant family of nematodes which cause parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE) in grazing ruminants?
Trichostrongyloidea (strongyles)
What is a common cause of parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE) in cattle?
Ostertagia Ostertagi
Describe the lifecycle of Ostertagia Ostertagi?
- Female adult worms produce eggs in the abomasum –>
- Eggs are excreted in the faeces and into the environment –>
- L1 larvae develop –>
- L2 larvae develop –>
- L3 larvae develop encased in the L2 cuticle –>
- L3 larvae are ingested by cattle –>
- L3 larvae penetrate the abomasal glands and develop into L4 larvae –>
- L4 larvae rupture the abomasal glands and develop into adults –>
The L4 larvae of Ostertagia Ostertagi can undergo hyperbiosis. Why does this occur?
The L4 larvae can undergo hyperbiosis (arrest) in the abomasal glands when faced with unideal conditions (i.e. cold winters)
What contributes to the direct pathology of Bovine Ostertagiosis
The rupturing of the abomasal glands by the L4 larvae causes hyperplasia and oedema of the abomasal glands. Destruction of the abomasal glands also leads to putrification of the abomasum by secondary bacteria
What is the common appearance of the abomasum in a cow that has been infected with Ostertagia Osteratagi?
‘Moroccan leather’ appearance
What is the infectious stage in the lifecycle of Ostertagia Ostertagi
L3 larvae
Describe the two clinical forms of Ostertagiosis
TYPE 1: Disease seen in first season grazing calves between July and October due to the ingestion of infectious larvae that has developed in pasture
TYPE 2: Disease seen in housed yearlings between March and May due to larvae that were ingested in the previous autumn, that have developed into L4 larvae and been reactivated
What are the clinical signs of type 1 Ostertagiosis?
- Profuse watery diarrhoea
- Weight loss
- Submandibular oedema (sometimes)
What are the clinical signs of type 2 Ostertagiosis?
- Intermittent diarrhoea
- Submandibular oedema (commonly)
- Weight loss
- Anorexia
- Dehydration
How can Ostertagiosis be diagnosed?
- Clinical signs and pasture history
- Use of diagnostic aids such as faecal egg counts and post-mortems
Ensure diagnosis as a herd, not as individual cattle
How should type 1 Ostertagiosis be treated?
Administration of anthelmintics followed by moving the cattle to clean pasture
How should type 2 Ostertagiosis be treated?
Administration of more potent anthelmintics such as macrocyclic lactones and pro-benzimidazoles
How can the spread of Ostertagia Ostertagi be controlled?
- Pasture management to reduce exposure to infectious L3 larvae
- Prophylactic anthelmintic treatments
What is a nematode that can cause Ovine Ostertagiosis in sheep?
Teladorsagia Circumcincta
What are the clinical signs of Ovine Ostertagiosis?
- Weight loss
- Diarrhoea
- Anorexia
What type of lifecycle do tapeworms have?
Indirect lifecycles
Which stage of the tapeworm lifecycle occurs in the final host?
The adult stage
Which stage of the tapeworm lifecycle occurs in the intermediate host?
The larval stage
(T/F) Tapeworms have male and female worms
FALSE. Tapeworms are hermaphrodites so contain both male and female reproductive organs in their proglottids