Parasitology: Nematodes Flashcards
What are some common routes of infection for helminth parasites?
- ingestion of infective parasite
- ingestion of transport/ intermediate host
- maternal (transmammary/transplacental)
- skin penetration
- blood feeding arthropod vectors
- non-blood feeding arthropod vectors
T/F: Worm populations in animals are aggregated (overdispersed).
true, 70-30 rule
T/F: Infection equals disease
false
Which is worm phylum is the most succesful?
Nematoda
T/F: There are many free-living nematodes.
True
Is it possible to see soil nematodes in fecal samples?
yes. We need to be able to distinguish these from intestinal parasites
What is the nematode body made of? What kind of adaptations are present that allow the nematode to remain in the host?
cuticle, which is flexible, but not metabolically active.
- the cuticle may be modified to form several structures (spines, ridges, secondary sexual structures, etc.)
Describe the internal morphology of nematodes.
“it’s like a tube with two tubes running through it.”
- the body cavity is filled with hemolymph.
- the body wall has a layer of longitudinal muscle
What kind of skeleton do nematodes have? How does it work?
a hydrostatic skeleton. Flexing the muscles of the body changes the pressure of the hemolymph within the body, allowing the nematodes to move “like snakes”
T/F: Nematodes have several sensory structures that allow them to sense their environment.
true
What kinds of neurotransmitters are present in nematodes? which is more common?
- Acetylcholine (most common)
- GABA
T/F: Nematode diet depends on the worm and the location
true
Describe the digestive system of a nematode.
(From anterior to posterior):
- oral opening -> Buccal capsule -> esophagus (aka pharynx) -> intestine -> anus (females) or cloaca (males)
What is one way to differentiate worm species by their digestive system?
look at their esophagus.
Which sex of worm is bigger?
females
Which sex of worm has secondary sexual structures? What is their function?
males
primarily, these structures are used to stabilize the female during mating
Where may the vulva be on a female worm?
anterior, posterior, or in the middle?
Does a female worm strictly lay eggs?
no, some eggs may hatch before she lays them
How many molts will a nematode undergo before it reaches the adult form?
4
What is the L3 rule?
The L3 stage of nematode development is almost ALWAYS the infective stage for a definitive host
Describe the general life cycle of a nematode.
Egg -> L1 -> L2 -> L3 -> L4 -> Adult
What are the six orders of Nematodes covered in this course?
- Strongylida
- Asacardida
- Spirurida
- Enoplida
- Oxyurida
- Rhabditida
Which order of worm can be characterized as large, stout-bodied, and robust?
Order Ascaridida
What are Ascarids generally referred to as?
roundworms
Where do Ascarids generally live?
in the small intestine
What do ascarids feed on?
NOT THE HOST
- they feed on the lumen contents
T/F: Ascarids attach to the host.
false; ascarids do not attach, and must swim constantly to stay within the small intestine
How long do adult ascarids generally live?
a few months in a host
How is an ascarid infection diagnosed?
find eggs in feces
T/F: The ascarid egg is easily susceptible to environmental conditions.
false, its very resistant and hardy
How long does it take an ascarid egg to develop to the infective stage?
2-4 weeks
What are the two genera of Ascarids we are focusing this course?
Parascaris spp.
Toxocara spp.
What is the host of Parascaris spp.?
horses
What is the host of Toxocara spp.
cats and dogs
How long can Parascaris spp. get?
males: up to 30 cm
females: up to 50 cm
Parascaris equorum life cycle
- Eggs passed in manure. In a few weeks, there’s an infective egg.
- Horse comes along and ingests the infective egg, which hatches in the gut.
- Larva penetrates gut wall, gets into hepatic portal system, ends up in the liver, and then carried to the heart, and then lungs.
- Gets coughed up, and swallowed, then larvae end up in small intestine, where they develop into adults
What is hepatotracheal migration
the journey a nematode larvae undertakes when it travels from the GI tract through the liver to the lungs
What is the prepatent period of Ascarids? Why is this important?
- roughly 3 months
- because you won’t see eggs for nearly 3 months, it makes it difficult to diagnose an infection.
Clinical importance of Parascaris.
- common in young horses
- low worm burdens may be subclinical
Clinical signs of Parascaris infection.
- unthriftiness, poor condition
- pot belly
- a very heavy infection can lead to perforation or impaction
- the larvae in the lungs may increase host susceptibility to pathogens (many have permanent effects in severe cases)
- nasal discharge due to larval lung infection
T/F: as horses mature and their immunity develops, patent infections of Parascaris rarely occur.
True
How long do Parascarid eggs require to reach infectivity?
2 weeks
Treatmenta and control of Parascarids.
- nematodicidal antihelmintics
- feces removal and composting (best method)
- wash udders before foaling
T/F: all nematocidal equine anthelmentics are effective against both adults and larvae
false
all are effective against adults, only some against larvae
Why are small animal ascarids (toxocaras spp) called arrowhead worms?
they have anterior cervical alae (makes them look like arrowhead)
What is the species name of the ascarid that infects dogs and other canids?
Toxocara cani
What is the species name of the ascarid that infects cats and other felids?
Toxcara cati
Simplest Toxocara canis infection pattern
- Dog ingests infective eggs.
- Hepatotracheal migration
- Adult worms in small intestine.
- PPP 5 weeks
1st variation of simple Toxocara canis infection pattern
- Dog ingests infective eggs.
- Hepatotracheal migration
- Adult worms in small intestine OR larvae become distributed in blood from lung to tissues, become encysted. (AKA somatic migration)
What is a somatic reservoir of larvae?
a variation of T. canis infection in which the larvae become encysted in the host instead of being coughed up and swallowed.
2nd variation of T. canis
larvae in somatic reservoir activated in late pregnancy (~45 days), and enter pups transplacentally
- pups born with larvae in liver, which then complete the migration to SI and mature.
PPP: 3 weeks
3rd variation of T. canis infection pattern
- another animal consumes infective larvae, which then lay dormant in tissues. Dog eats intemediate host. becomes infected with parasite (which no longer has to undergo any migration)
What are some possible paratenic hosts of T. canis?
- rabbits
- birds
- rodents
- elephants (wut)
What aspect of the dog helps the Toxocara larvae determine which migration system its going to undergo?
the immune status of the dog
When is somatic migration more likely?
more likely in immune dogs and older dogs
Clinical signs of Toxocara canis in puppies
low burdens: no or few signs
moderate to heavy burdens:
- diarrhea/constipation
- colic and pot belly
- vomiting
- unthrifty, poor hair coat
- intestinal obstruction
- pneumonia
Why is it recommended to treat puppies every 2-3 weeks for up to 12 weeks?
the most commonly used drugs affect nematode adults, not the larvae. You need to get the larvae too.
Is there a commercial test available to test for a T. canis somatic reservoir?
nope
How can you control Toxocara canis infection rates?
- remove feces (eggs in environment take 2-4 weeks to become infective, and can survive for long periods of time in ideal conditions)
- wash surfaces w/ 1% bleach solution (doesn’t kill them, but it strips away the sticky outer protein coat on the egg, making them easier to wash away
Why is prevalence lower in the Western US than the Eastern US?
drier environment
Compare and contrast T. cati and T. canis.
T. cati similar in nearly all regards, except:
- transmammary transmission is more important than transplacental
- longer prepatent period
- higher prevalence because the cats are consuming more paratenic hosts
Can humans be paratenic hosts for Toxocara?
yes, but we’re still shitty hosts
Clinical disease syndromes of humans affected by Toxocara migration.
- visceral larva migrans
- ocular larva migrans
Which order of nematode is known as the “bursate nematode?”
strongylida
What is a bursa? which sex of strongylids have it and why?
- a bursa is a “skirt” that male nematodes have. It allows them to stabilize females during mating
Morphology of Strongylids
- a Buccal capsule at anterior end which the worm uses to suck in a plug of mucosa to attach to the host.
- size varies from barely macroscopic to about 15 cm
- pathogenic stage is dependent on the species
T/F: you can distinguish between strongylid eggs only.
false, most members of strongylida produce similar egs
Strongylida egg morphology
- ovular
- thin shell
- contain morula
How many layers of cuticle does an L3 Strongylida have?
2, it kept the previous cuticle
T/F: infective stages of the order Strongylida develop on the egg
false, they develop freely in the environment.
Where do Strongylida larvae develop?
in feces
What is the purpose the Strongylida L3 stage retaining the L2’s cuticle?
its a protective sheath
is it easier to kill a strongylid larvae in the host or the environment
environment
Can strongylid eggs and larvae withstand extreme temperatures or freezing/thawing cycles?
nope
Differentiate between the infective stages of Ascarids and Strongylids
- L3 of ascarids are in eggs
- L3 of Strongylids are free-living
In general, the ____ the temperature, the faster the development of strongylids
higher
T/F: many GI strongylids have a life cycle period in which they enter the gut wall and undergo further development before becoming an adult in the lumen
true.
they will remain in gut wall for a minimum period of time before emerging. Occurs between L3 and L4 stages
What is hypobiosis?
a period of dormancy, in which strongylid development undergoes arrest for a variable period of time in definitive host tissue.
What is one observation in regards to why larvae undergo hypobiosis
seasonal changes. You generally see number of adults peak in summer time and larvae peak in spring/winter time
What affects competence of the host’s immune response?
age and stress
T/F: host immunity develops over time, and is often expressed fully before maturity.
false, it is not fully expressed until maturity
What are the three superfamiles of Order Strongylida, and what are their preferred hosts?
- Trichostrongyloidea: ruminants
- Strongyloidea: horses
- Ancylostomatoidea: small animals
General characteristics of Trichostrongyloidea
- generally small, threadlike worms
- ID based on male bursa and spicules
- small buccal capsule
- GI parasites + 1 lungworm genus
How do you diagnose Trichostrongyloidea infections?
fecals
Prepatent Period of Trichostrongylids
3-4 weeks
T/F: if your ruminant is eating ANY grass, it has trichostrongylids.
true, there’s really nothing you can do about it
How long can the L3 stage survive in environment?
weeks to months, depending on the weather
What do all of the genera of Trichostrongyloidea contribute to?
parasitic gastroenteritis
What are the two most important Trichostrongyloids in the US and what are their preferred species of host?
- Ostertagia: cattle
- Haemonchus: small ruminants
Which part of the cattle stomach will you find Ostertagia?
the abomasum
What is the scientific name of the brown stomach worm of cattle?
Ostertagia ostertagi
Where does the Ostertagia larvae end up after ingestion? How long are they there?
- they enter the gastric glands.
- are in the gastric glands for a minimum of several days
- What is the minimum PPP of Ostertagia?
- What is the maximum PPP of Ostertagia?
- 21 days
- 4-6 months
What is the biggest impact of Ostertagia as larvae emerge from the gastic glands?
- cell dedifferentiation and hyperplasia; the changes lead to nodule formation.
- this dedifferentiation causes the stomach pH to go up. This more basic stomach acid diminishes the strength of the acid barrier of the stomach, leading to digestive issues due to failure to cleave pepsinogen into pepsin.
What is the clinical importance of Ostertagia?
- in Adults and young animals with light infection, there is little to no effect
- in young animals with moderate infection (subclinical), we see anorexia, decreased production (including weight gain)
- In heavy infections (clinical signs), we see:
- anorexia
- diarrhea
- weight loss
- unthriftiness
- hypoproteinemia (bottle jaw)
What is the most important Trichostrongylid in small ruminants of N. America?
Haemonchus contortus
Haemonchus placei can be a problem for which species and in which US region?
- bovine
- Southern US
Where would you find Haemonchus in the ruminant host?
- abomasum
what does Haemonchus feed on?
abomasal blood
How does Haemonchus access the abomasal blood of its host?
it pierces the stomach surface and causes capillary bleeding
T/F: Female Haemonchus are very prolific
true
What is the preferred climate of Haemonchus?
warm weather with high humidity
T/F: Haemonchus population can build rapidly, thus making it an extremely successful parasite
true