Observations on a tissue response within the body cavity of fish infected with the plerocercoid larvae of Ligula intestinalis (L.) (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea)

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Arme ◽  
R. Wynne Owen
2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 345-352
Author(s):  
L.N. Measures ◽  
F. Moravec ◽  
S. Douglas ◽  
S. Lair

Philometra rubra (Leidy, 1856) is a pathogenic parasitic nematode infecting striped bass (Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792)) in eastern North America. Identification of philometrids is difficult, male P. rubra have never been found, and transmission is poorly understood. To re-establish the “Extirpated” striped bass population in the St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE), Quebec, young-of-the-year (YOY) striped bass from the Miramichi River, New Brunswick, were collected and released into the SLE. The present study was undertaken to find Philometra in striped bass from the Miramichi River, for identification, description, and examine transmission and lesions. Philometra rubra was identified in 100% of 32 YOY (intensity = 26–125) and 100% of nine 1-year-old (intensity = 4–25 in five striped bass) striped bass collected in summer 2011. The swim bladder and body cavity were sites of infection in YOY with no tissue response observed histopathologically. Gravid P. rubra females occurred in the body cavity and swim bladder, with males predominately in the latter site. Males were short-lived, being absent in 1-year-old bass. Adult male and adult female P. rubra are described. Males of P. rubra can be distinguished from other described species based on spicule, gubernaculum, and body-length measurements. This parasite may have implications for the re-introduction program and conservation of striped bass in the SLE and in other populations.


Reproduction ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 130 (6) ◽  
pp. 939-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Carter ◽  
R Pierce ◽  
S Dufour ◽  
C Arme ◽  
D Hoole

The tapewormLigula intestinalisoccurs in the body cavity of its cyprinid second intermediate host, in this study the roachRutilus rutilus, and inhibits host gonadal development. The mechanism by which infected fish are prevented from reproducing is unknown. Comparison of parameters, such as body length and weight, and condition factor and age, between infected and uninfected individuals, indicated only minor effects of parasitism on growth and condition. In contrast, seasonal gonadal development, as observed in uninfected fish, did not occur in infected fish, and gonads remained small and blocked at the primary oocyte stage in female roach. As immature ovaries and testes are still present, the parasite is presumed to act upon the brain–pituitary–gonadal axis of the fish to inhibit further development of reproductive organs. We investigated theLigula/fish interaction at the level of the pituitary gland by determination of gonadotrophin (LH) content using a heterologous RIA for carp (Cyprinus carpio) LHβ subunit. The results indicated that the pituitary glands of infected roach contained approximately 50% less LH than non-infected fish. After the cloning and sequencing of roach LHβ subunit, we measured roach LHβ mRNA levels by real-time RT-PCR. A corresponding 50% reduction in LHβ mRNA pituitary levels was determined. These results reflect a significant and measurable effect of parasitism on the pituitary gland, and lend support to the hypothesis that excretory/secretory products released from the parasite interact with the brain–pituitary–gonadal axis of the fish host and thus inhibit gonadal development.


Parasitology ◽  
1924 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-112
Author(s):  
Edward Hindle

In December, 1922, whilst dissecting a large female example of Bufo regularis, one of my students noticed a cylindrical structure extending along the ventral region of the body-cavity. A careful examination showed that this structure consisted of an elongated sac-like diverticulum of the right lung, containing an almost full-grown specimen of a dipterous larva, which could be seen through the membraneous wall of the diverticulum. The base of the latter, in addition to its point of origin from the lung, was also connected to the dorsal surface of the liver by strands of fibrous tissue, suggesting that the growth had been in existence some considerable time in order to cause such adhesions. Posteriorly, the diverticulum hung freely in the body cavity and extended to the extreme hinder end. Its dimensions were 5·5 cm. in length, by 0·5 cm. in diameter, but tapering towards each extremity.


1962 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 1269-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan F. Bronskill

In third and fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti (L.), juveniles of the rhabditoid, DD136, penetrate the blood sinus and cardial epithelium of the proventriculus to enter the body cavity of the host, where they complete their development. By 5 hours, a thick capsule developed about many of the ensheathed immature adults of DD136 within the body cavity of A. aegypti larvae. This rapid defence reaction of the mosquito to DD136, which has both a melanin and a cellular manifestation, occurs both in the exotic mosquito A. aegypti and in the two endemic species tested, Aedes stimulans (Walker) and Aedes trichurus (Dyar). The resistance of A. stimulans to an endemic rhabditoid, possibly of the Diplogasteridae, is also similar. The histological structure of the capsule is not affected during metamorphosis in A. aegypti; however, during histogenesis of adult tissue displacement and (or) distortion of some tissues and organs may be caused by the presence of the capsule within the host's body cavity. The activity of the adult A. aegypti is normal when this distortion or displacement is minor. Though usually encapsulated DD136 are retained within the body cavity of A. aegypti during metamorphosis, sometimes they are partially or completely expelled from the host's body cavity at the time of molting.


1949 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
J. D. SMYTH

1. Plerocercoid larvae of the pseudophyllidean cestode Ligula intestinalis from the body cavity of roach, were cultured in vitro at 40°C. in a variety of saline and nutrient media. About 65% of such cultures were aseptic. 2. During cultivation, larvae produced acid by-products (unidentified) and the pH fell rapidly. 3. The presence of these acid by-products slowed down development, or, if present in sufficient quantity, caused death. 4. In order to obtain development in nutrient media in a period (3 days) comparable to that required in a bird (the normal host) it was necessary to renew the medium 24-hourly. 5. 6% of the eggs produced from a worm cultured in horse serum were fertile. Fertile eggs were never obtained from larvae cultured in any other media. 6. Certain bacterial infections had no apparent detrimental effect on development, but others were toxic. 7. Some larvae underwent development in non-nutrient medium (¾ strength Locke's solution). The exact conditions under which this occurred was not determined. 8. Fragments (3 cm. long), of larvae or larvae with either scolex or posterior half removed, underwent development to the stage of oviposition in nutrient media. 9. Histochemical examination revealed that the plerocercoid larvae were almost fat-free. During cultivation, very large quantities of cytoplasmic fat were produced the quantity being proportional to the duration of cultivation. Fat was produced even under starvation conditions (i.e. during cultivation in saline) and can be considered a metabolic by-product. 10. The fresh plerocercoid contained great quantities of glycogen in the parenchyma and muscle regions. After cultivation in nutrient or saline media, considerable quantities were still present.


Author(s):  
M. Barson

Clarias gariepinus were collected from Lake Chivero, Zimbabwe, and examined for nematode parasites from November 2000 to May 2002. Of the 202 specimens collected, 42.6 % were infected with third-stage larvae of Contracaecum sp. in the body cavity. The intensity of the infection was 1-7 worms per fish (mean intensity = 2.2). Seasonal variation in the prevalence of the parasite was not obvious and there was no significant difference in the prevalence of infection between males and females (c2 = 2.228; P > 0.05). No significant relationship between host size and prevalence was established. There was also no significant relationship between intensity and the body condition factor (r = 0.11; P > 0.05). The low parasite prevalence may have been caused by the disruption of the infection cycle since piscivorous birds, which are the final hosts of the parasite, do not feed on C. gariepinus in Lake Chivero.


1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 3377-3382 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Barrett ◽  
Andy J. Brownwright ◽  
Mark J. Primavera ◽  
Subba Reddy Palli

ABSTRACT A recombinant Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) expressing the green fluorescence protein (GFP) under the control of the AcMNPV polyhedrin promoter was constructed to study the spatial and temporal regulation of baculovirus infection in a permissive host. Larvae that ingested AcMNPV-GFP showed localized expression of GFP in the midgut epithelial cells, as well as hemocytes, at 24 h postinfection. The presence of fluorescence in these tissues indicated not only that the virus was replicating but also that the very late viral proteins were being synthesized. Secondary infection occurred within the tracheal cells throughout the body cavity, confirming earlier reports, and these foci of infection allowed entry of the virus into other tissues, such as the epidermis and the fat body.


1970 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Greathead

The relations of the Strepsipterous parasite Halictophagus pontifex Fox to seven species of its Cercopid (Aphrophorinae) hosts were studied at a grassland site in Uganda. Dissections of weekly samples of the Cercopids collected by sweeping showed that the duration of the life-cycle of H. pontifex is 30–40 days. The parasite is found only in adult hosts which can support as many individuals (up to 7) in Poophilus costalis (Wlk.) as can develop in the space available in the body cavity. Both the maximum number of parasites per host and the rate of parasitism are related to the volume of the host. Parasitism arrests development of the ovaries of female hosts; they may reproduce after emergence of male parasites but not after exhaustion of females because of reinfection by triungulins. Graphical and regression analysis of the population data (no. individuals/1 000 sweeps) show that, for P. costalis, parasitism by H. pontifex is density dependent and the chief regulating factor. Rainfall 58–64 days before sampling also was correlated with P. costalis density, but multiple regression analysis showed it to be insignificant.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chidozie Nwabuisi OKOYE ◽  
Udensi Maduabuchi IGWEBUIKE ◽  
Anietie Francis UDOUMOH ◽  
Chinadindu Tochukwu OKEREKE

Testicular morphology and sperm motility were evaluated in cultured Clarias gariepinus (n = 25) purposively assigned to five groups according to their age. The results showed that the testes were paired, elongated, dorso-ventrally flattened structures, situated in the caudal aspects of the body cavity. The mean length of both right and left testes increased linearly with age, being significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 6 months than at 4 and 5 months of age, and also significantly (p < 0.05) higher at 8 months than at 6 months of age, while the mean weight and organo-somatic index of the catfish testes increased linearly until 6 months of age, after which no significant (p > 0.05) increase in the testicular weight and organo-somatic index was observed. Unidirectional progressive movement of spermatozoa was detected in the milt of C. gariepinus at 6, 7 and 8 months of age, but sperm cells were non-motile at 4 and 5 months of age. Histological sections showed seminiferous lobules, whose germinal epithelia were characterized by many cysts enclosing clones of sperm cells. Each cyst enclosed a clone of sperm cells at an identical stage of spermatogenesis. Spermatids and spermatozoa were present in the lumen of the seminiferous lobule. The obtained results indicate that the morphology of the testes of C. gariepinus is similar to the testes of members of the order Siluriformes, but sexual maturity and production of motile spermatozoa may be achieved at 6 months of age in the African catfish.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Casti ◽  
Christian Scarano ◽  
Maria Cristina Piras ◽  
Paolo Merella ◽  
Sonia Muglia ◽  
...  

Anisakiasis is a gastrointestinal fishborne zoonosis caused by the ingestion of third stage larvae of the genus <em>Anisakis</em>. Between January and December 2013, 1112 specimens of four commercial fish species (<em>Engraulis encrasicolus, Merluccius merluccius, Scomber colias</em> and <em>Trachurus mediterraneus</em>) marketed in Sardinia (Italy) were examined for <em>Anisakis</em> sp. The overall prevalence of <em>Anisakis</em> spp larvae was 39.9%, all morphologically identified as Type I. <em>Scomber colias</em> showed the highest prevalence (100%), followed by <em>M. merluccius</em> (Atlantic 91.0%, Mediterranean 71.2%), <em>T. mediterraneus</em> (32.7%) and <em>E. encrasicolus</em> (25.9%). All the larvae found in Mediterranean hosts were genetically identified as <em>Anisakis pegreffii</em>, whereas 90.0% of the larvae found in the Atlantic <em>M. merluccius</em> belonged to <em>Anisakis simplex sensu stricto</em> and 10.0% to <em>A. pegreffii</em>. The mean abundance of <em>Anisakis</em> sp. larvae was positively correlated with fish size in <em>E. encrasicolus</em>, Atlantic <em>M. merluccius</em> and local <em>M. merluccius</em>. The prevalence of infection was greater in the body cavity (37.9%) than in the edible muscle (9.4%). However, 1.8% of the examined fish were infected exclusively in the muscle. Therefore, the risk associated to the consumption of raw or undercooked fishery products poses the need of measures such as visual inspection and preventive treatments to guarantee consumers’ health.


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