Prevalence, morphological and biochemical study of larval stage Coenurus cerebralis of Taenia multiceps in sheep

Nadia H Mohammed

doi:10.33899/ijvs.2019.125660.1124

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Coenurus cerebralis of Tenia multiceps in sheep of Nineveh governorate. One handed and thirty-six sheep heads were examined for the presence of coenurus cysts 31 (22.8%) were infected. The younger were more affected than the adults. There were no significant differences between the number of infected males and females. The clinical signs varied from one animal to another which consisted of neurological disorders manifested by depression, bending of the head to one side, walking in a circular movement and paralysis in the hind limbs, while some animals did not give the clinical symptoms despite the existence of cyst. The number of cysts were ranged from 1 to 4 cysts/animal. The size of these cyst was ranged from 0.5 to 4 cm, and the volume of fluid in these cysts were ranged from 1 to 6 ml while the number of protoscolices in the cyst were ranged from 60 - 360 protoscolex, the mean length of large and small hooks was 179.95 µm respectively. The study also considered the identification of some chemical constituents of fluid of coenurus cyst such as glucose, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, sodium, potassium, urea and pH.

Highlights

C. cerebralis is one of the most important parasites that are responsible for a high mortality rate up to 100% of sheep herds in different countries of the world [1], causing a serious economic problem affecting sheep breeding programs [2]
The results revealed the percentage of total infection with coenurus cyst in sheep was 22.8%
The study explained that the total infection rate was 22.8%, this result is apparently similar to that obtained by Uslu and Guctu [11] who detected coenurus cyst infection in Istanbul of 24.61%, but higher than that carried out in Abog [12] were recorded 2.68%, and lower than the study done in Ethiopian highland and Egypt which were 75 and 100%, respectively [13,14]

Summary

Introduction

C. cerebralis is one of the most important parasites that are responsible for a high mortality rate up to 100% of sheep herds in different countries of the world [1], causing a serious economic problem affecting sheep breeding programs [2]. The cause of this infection is the metacestode C. cerebralis of the T. multiceps [3]. The results showed that number of C. cerebralis observed in the brain ranged from 1 to 4 cyst/animal The size of these cyst ranged from 0.5 to 4cm. The results indicated that the volume of liquid in these cysts ranged from 1 to 6 ml while the number of protoscolices in the cyst ranged from 60 - 360 protoscolices (Figures 1 and 2)

No animals infected

Findings

Discussion