AFIP WSC Parasite Charts (03-09)

Metazoan parasite flow chart:

Structures to ID parasites by group:

 Nematode charts

Vascular parasites include:

 Blood flukes of mammals and birds – Schistosoma sp., Heterobilharzia sp., Orientobilharzia sp.
 Onchocerca sp. – within the walls of the aorta of cattle, buffalo and goats
 Dirofilaria immitis – heartworm of dogs, cats, sea lions, muskrats
 Brugia sp. – tropical parasite of dogs and cats
 Strongylus vulgaris
Abomasal nemotodes
The mnemonic “HOT” is useful for remembering the most important abomasal
nematodes:
 “H”: Haemonchus contortus in sheep and goats and H. placei in cattle, also known as the
“barber pole worm”.
 “O”: Ostertagia spp.
 “T”: Trichostrongylus axei infects cattle, sheep, and goats
All of these are trichostrongyles; the key to identifying Ostertagia spp. in histologic
section is the evenly-spaced external cuticular ridges.

Lungworms of domestic animals:

 Aelurostrongylus abstrusus – cats; catarrhal bronchiolitis, submucosal gland hyperplasia,
granulomatous alveolitis, alveolar fibrosis
 Capillaria aerophila – dogs, cats, foxes; dogs and cats very mild infection
 Crenosoma vulpis – foxes, occasionally dogs; eosinophilic catarrhal bronchitis and
bronchiolitis
 Filaroides hirthi, F. milksi – dogs, mink; pyogranulomatous, eosinophilic pneumonia
 Angiostrongylus vasorum – dogs, foxes; inhabits pulmonary artery and right ventricle
 Dictyocaulus filaria – sheep and goats; catarrhal and eosinophilic bronchitis and
bronchiolitis
 Dictyocaulus viviparous – cattle; pneumonia, bronchitis, pulmonary edema and emphysema
 Dictyocaulus arnfieldi – horses, donkeys; obstructive or eosinophilic bronchitis,
 edema, atelectasis
 Muellerius capillaris – sheep and goats; small nodular lesions on the lung surface
 Protostrongylus rufescens – sheep and goats; lambs and kids; lives in bronchioles, causes
pulmonary nodules.
 Metastrongylus apri – pigs; growth retardation, bronchitis, catarrhal inflammation

Lungworms of phocid pinnipeds:

 Otostrongylus circumlitis - the only other lungworm of phocid pinnipeds (seals: harbor,
ringed, spotted, ribbon, Baikal, grey, bearded, northern elephant)
 Large roundworm found in large bronchi and bronchioles; causes vasculitis
 Parafilaroides spp. – spp. based on host and geographic range
 P. gymnurus – final host: phocid seals (harbor, ringed, harp, spotted, grey, bearded, Baikal);
range: coastal waters of Canada, Europe, and Russia
 P. hydrurgae – final host: leopard seal; range: Southern Ocean
 P. decorus- final host: California sea lion, Stellar sea lion, northern fur seal; range: Pacific
waters of the United States
 P. hispidus – final host: phocid seals (ringed and grey); range: coastal waters of Canada
 P. caspicus – final host: Caspian seal; range: Caspian Sea

NASAL PASSAGE/SINUS PARASITES:

1. Oestrus ovis (nasal bot) – sheep
2. Linguatula serrata (pentastome) – dogs
3. Pneumonyssus caninum (arthropod) – dogs
4. Anatrichosoma sp. (nematode) – nonhuman primates
5. Halicephalobus deletrix (nematode) – horses
6. Syngamus laryngeus (nematode) – cat, cattle
7. Cephenemyia sp. (arthropod) – wild cervids
8. Rhinophagia sp. (arthropod) – Old World monkeys
Protozoal charts
Coccidia characteristics and life cycle:
 The oocysts of Eimeria have four sporocysts, each with two sporozoites, with a total
of eight sporozoites in each oocyst.
 The oocysts of Isopora have two sporocysts, each with four sporozoites, with a total
of eight sporozoites in each oocyst.
 Ingested sporozoites excyst in the intestine and invade epithelial cells where they
round up and form trophozoites.
 Asexual replication or schizogeny follows forming schizonts containing merozoites.
 The schizonts rupture, releasing the merozoites, which infect other epithelial cells and
continue to replicate.
 Merozoites eventually form sexual stages (male-microgamete, femalemacrogamete)
which unite to form oocysts.
“Dit -dot” organisms (Fungi included):
 Leishmania sp- round, eccentric nucleus with a rod-shaped perpendicular kinetoplast
(lollipop)
 Trypanosoma cruzi – kinetoplast is parallel to the nucleus
 Toxoplasma gondii – 2-5 um tachyzoites, no kinetoplast
 Neospora caninum – 4-7 um tachyzoites, no kinetoplast
 Sporothrix schenkii – 4-10 um, oval to cigar shaped, no kinetoplast
 Blastomyces dermatitidis – 10-20 um, broad-based budding, no kinetoplast
 Histoplasma capsulatum – no kinetoplast

Blood parasites (Primarily protozoal)

 Trematode charts
Schistosome Parasite description:
Schistosomes are unique from other trematodes infecting humans in that they live in blood vessels, they
have separate sexes (most trematodes are hermaphroditic), the eggs are nonoperculated, and the
metacercariae are not encysted. Anatomical features of mature schistosomes include an oral and ventral
sucker at the anterior end, the lack of a body cavity, a brown granular schistosomal pigment often found in
the parasite’s cecum, tegmental tuberculations in S. mansoni males, and a gynecophoral canal in males
which holds the female. S. mansoni eggs are 114-175 μm by 45-68 μm and have a lateral spine.

Cestode charts
Cystic larval cestodes
1. Echinococcus- E. granulosus and E. multilocularis form hydatid cysts
composed of a bladder with myriad protoscolices that are often clustered into
brood capsules, E. granulosus forms unilocular hydatid cysts and E. multilocularis forms multilocular
hydatid cysts.
2. Cysticercoids – very small larvae, with a tiny bladder and a scolex that is
surrounded by parenchymous arms
3. Cysticercus – bladder with a single inverted neck and scolex; scolex may be
armed, and always has four suckers
4. Coenurus – resembles Cysticercus but has more than one scolex

Solid-bodied cestode larvae

1. Plerocercoid – lacks suckers
2. Tetrathyridium – has suckers