Rhabditisstrongyloides (Schneider, 1860) Schneider, 1866
(Figure4 01)
There has been a single report of Rhabditisstrongyloides (reported as Peloderastrongyloides) from the urine of a cat. (Kipnis and Todd, 1977). In this case the cat presented with hematuria and stanguria. The bladder was manually expressed, and an analysis of the urine sediment revealed numerous red blood cells along with larvae and an adult male Peloderastrongyloides. Treatment of this cat consisted of chloramphenicol 3 times daily and a urinary acidifier twice daily. By the sixth day of treatment, urine parameters had returned to normal.
Rhabditisstrongyloides is typically a free-living nematode that is found in decaying organic material. It has been observed on the hair and in lesions in the skin of dogs, cows, sheep, and horses that have been housed on dirty bedding or under conditions where they have been sick or debilitated with difficulty in rising. In mammals, the only stage found is the larva (Fig 4-01). The males of this nematode are about a millimeter long; the females are about 1.3 to 1.5 mm long. The esophagus has the typical rhabditoid shape with a corpus, isthmus, and bulb. The buccal space is about one fifth the length of the esophagus and has three metastomal teeth where it joins the esophagus. The vulva of the female is located slightly posteriad to midbody, and the uterus contains eggs that are 34-39 by 55-65 µm in width and length. The life cycle is direct.
REFERENCES:
Kipnis RM, Todd KS. 1977. Peloderastrongyloides in the urine of a cat. Feline Pract 7:16-19.
Sudhaus VW, Schulte F. 1986. Auflösung des Artenkomplexes Rhaditis (Pelodera) strongyloides (Nematoda) und Beschreibung zweier nur kryptischer Arten mit Bidlung an Nagetieren. Zoologische Jahrbücher (Systematik) 113:409-428.
Sudhaus W, Schulte F. 1988. Rhabditis (Pelodera) “strongyloides” (Nematoda) als Verursacher von Dermatitis, mit systematischen und biologischen Bemerkungen über verwandte Arten. Zoologische Jahrbücher (Systematik) 115:187-205.
Sudhaus W, Schulte F, Hominick WM. 1987. A further sibling species of Rhaditis (Pelodera) strongyloides (Nematoda): Rhabditis (P.) cutanea n.sp. from the skin of wood mice (Apodemussylvaticus). Revue de Nematologie 10:319-326.
Figure 4-01.Rhabditis strongyloides. A histological section through the hair follicle of a dog showing the larva of this facultative parasite.