11 July 2016

Lecture #4: THE HOOKWORMS




The hookworms are characterized by the presence of cutting plates which may either be teeth or semilunar notch. This characteristic differentiates them from other nematodes.



************  Human hookworms  ************



1.      Necator americanus (New World Hookworm) – located in the jejenum

a.       Mode of transmission: skin penetration

b.      Infective stage: Filariform larva

c.       Adult worms are cylindrical in shape with cephalic portion curve against the curve of the body and have a small buccal capsule with a pair of semilunar cutting plates.

2.      Ancylostoma duodonale (Old World Hookworm) – located in the duodenum

a.       Adult worm is stout, cylindrical, slightly constricted anteriorly and has a cephalic curvature along the curve of the body. Living worms are pinkish or creamy–gray in color and are covered with a tough cuticula and are provided with a pair of small teeth (accessory) and 2 pairs of big teeth.



N.B:           The life cycle, disease produced, diagnosis, treatment and ova
                  morphology of Necator americanus and Ancylostoma sp. are the same,
                        they only differ in the morphology of adult male and female.
           

            Morphology of the ova: (1) Ovoid (2) Transparent (3) with 2–8 germ cells
            


************  Animal hookworms  ***********

1.      Ancylostoma braziliense (cat hookworm)

a.       Disease produced: Cutaneous larva migrans (creeping eruption)

b.      The buccal capsule is specifically diagnostics, having a pair of small, very inconspicuous median teeth and a pair of larger outer teeth.

2.      Ancylostoma caninum (dog hookworm)

a.       Disease produced: Cutaneous larva migrans (creeping eruption)

b.      The adult has a wide buccal capsule to accommodate 3 pairs of ventral teeth, a diagnostic characteristic of the species.



3.      Gnathostoma spinigerum

a.       Gnathostomiasis is caused by infection with the larval stage of the parasite. Adult stage is normally found in the tumor of the stomach of wild and domesticated cats and dogs.





b.      The adult is curved ventrally on both ends, stout, reddish in color and slightly transparent with a subglobuse cephalic swelling with 4–8 rows of spines transversely arranged, with a neck or cephalic constriction and with spines from cuticle in anterior half of the body.

c.       Mode of transmission is by skin penetration

4.      Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rodent lungworm)

a.       Causes eosinophilic meningitis, cerebral angiostrongyliasis


b.      Definite host: Rattus rattus, R. norvegious

c.       Snail host: Achatina fulica (giant African snail), Pila polita, P. gracius, P. ecpansa










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