Clinico-pathology, diagnosis and management of Cysticercus fasciolaris and Hymenolepis diminuta co-infection in wistar rats.

Y. Damodar Singh,Rahul Singh Arya

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2015.116-120

Abstract

Aim:The present study was undertaken to study the pathology and control of sudden unexplained mortality in wistar rats.Materials and Methods:This study was conducted in a colony of 25 male wistar rats where there was mortality of nine rats. The dead rats were subjected to thorough post-mortem examination and necropsy samples were processed for hematoxylin and eosin staining for histopathological studies. Faecal samples of live rats were studied for the presence of parasitic eggs. Treatment with anthelmintics was given to manage the mortality and infections.Results:The investigation revealed a natural co-infection of Cysticercus fasciolaris and Hymenolepis diminuta in wistar rats, which were pathogenic enough to cause mortality. Typical lesions associated with the parasites were found in the dead rats. The mortality and infection were managed with common anthelmintics.Conclusion:C. fasciolaris and H. diminuta infection can cause mortality in wistar rats even when individually they cause asymptomatic infection. The mortality and infection can be managed with common anthelmintics.

Highlights

Taenia taeniaeformis occurs all over the world in small intestines of their definitive host, cats and related carnivores
The investigation revealed a natural co-infection of Cysticercus fasciolaris and Hymenolepis diminuta in wistar rats, which were pathogenic enough to cause mortality
The mortality and infection can be managed with common anthelmintics

Summary

Introduction

Taenia taeniaeformis occurs all over the world in small intestines of their definitive host, cats and related carnivores. The infected definitive host voids thousands of eggs daily which infect the intermediate host through contamination of feed and water. These include rodents and less frequently lagomorphs. The life cycle is completed when the cats consume infected rodents (laboratory and wild) or any other intermediate host [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. The parasite is of zoonotic significance and human beings can act as accidental intermediate host [9,10]. Hymenolepis diminuta, the “rat tapeworm” is a zoonotic parasite [11,12,13,14]

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