Development, growth and migration of Philophthalmus gralli (Trematoda) from Jordan in the eyes of chicks

Abstract

The growth of Philophthalmus gralli from jordan was studied experimentally by inoculating 10 excysted metacercariae around the right eye of 47 day-old chicks. The growth rate was slow in the first three days during which flukes did not exceed 0·30 mm long. Then growth become rapid reaching 2·70 mm long on day 24. This was followed by a low growth rate during which the flukes grew from 2·70 mm to 2·90 mm on day 40. The flukes started to appear in the left eye on the day 12 post-inoculation of metacercariae in the development of P.gralli from Jordan was the same as of other species of Philophthalmus. However, a sixth stage, post-maturation stage, is suggested in addition to the 5 developmental stages of Philophthalmus. The ratio of the transverse diameter of the ovary to that of testes in the post-maturation stage was 1:1·1–1:1·2.

Life cycle of Philophthalamus species for the first time in Egypt

“…This adult worm produced after obtaining on Philophthlamus cercaria from C. bulimoides snail and encysted metacercariae and experimental infection in ducks. This worm species have a mean length of 4.365mm and its detailed morphological features come in agreement with the previous description of corresponding species by, Ismail and Issa (1987), Swarnakumari and Madhavi (1992), Colgan and Nollen (1977) and Radev et al (2000). This worm species has special zoonotic importance where Lamothe-Argumedo et al The most interesting result of the present study is the success in obtaining Philophthalamus species adult worm.…”

“…The cercariae encysted directly to form encysted metacercaria, when infect chicks experimentally at one day old by pipetting in the eye, they develop after 35 days post infection to obtain the adult P. hegeneri and P. megalurus from eyes (Colgan and Nollen, 1977). Ismail and Issa, 1987in Jordan, Swarnakumari and Madhavi, 1992in India, Radev et al, 2000and Diaz et al, 2002 Venzuela, they recorded that the snail Melanoides tuberculata was the intermediate host for P. gralli, P. nocturnes and P. species. They found that the snail emerged naturally cercariae which directly encysted.…”

Growth and development of Pleurogenoides orientalis (Srivastava, 1934) (Trematoda: Lecithodendriidae) in the intermediate and definitive hosts

“…The growth characteristics of adult flukes are in agreement with other digeneans studied, in which three phases are usually recognised: the lag-phase, the rapid phase and the stationary phase (Fried, 1962;Nollen, 1971;Nollen & Murray, 1978;Ismail & Issa, 1987). In P. orientalis the lag-phase lasted for 5 days after which it entered a rapid phase that continued for the rest of the period studied (35 days).…”

“…Most of the early investigations on the growth of digeneans pertain to the growth of adult flukes from metacercariae either in experimental hosts or in culture media (Fried, 1962;Nollen, 1971;Harris et al, 1972;Hong, 1982;Franco et al, 1986 andIsmail &Issa, 1987). A few investigations have also been undertaken on the growth of metacercariae from cercariae in the intermediate host (Benjamin & James, 1987).…”

First Egyptian record of the eye fluke (Philophthalamus palpebrarum) transmitted by Melanoides tuberculata snail and its experimental life cycle

“…Emerged cercariae encysted within 40-60 seconds. Encysted metacercariae were excysted by their placement in saline at 37C° for several minutes (Ismail and Issa, 1987a). These excysted metacercariae were subsequently used to infect chicks.…”