Stephanoprora denticulatoides Isaichikoff, 1925
ETYMOLOGY:Stephano (= crown) + prora (forward) and denticulatoides (like denticulata, another species of Stephanoprora described from European birds).
SYNONYMS: Beaver (1937) considered Stephanoprora denticulatoides a synonym of Stephanoprorapolycesta. Kuntz and Chandler (1956) redescribed the parasite based on worms recovered from cats in Egypt.
HISTORY: This worm was originally described from dogs in the Crimea (Isaichikoff, 1925). The only report from cats is that of Kuntz and Chandler (1956).
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: Crimea and the Mediterranean coast of Egypt.
LOCATION IN HOST: Small intestine.
PARASITE IDENTIFICATION: This worm is elongate in shape, measuring 0.75 to 1.2 mm in length and being about 10 times longer than wide. The genus Stephanoprora is very similar to Echinochasmus (see above), and is considered by some to be a subgenus within Echinochasmus (Chatterji, 1954). This parasite differs from Echinochasmus in that the vitellaria of Stephanoprora are restricted to the posterior part of the body. Thus, species of Episthmium have anteriorly extending vitellaria, species of Echinochasmus have vitellaria that extend to the level of the ventral sucker, and species of Stephanoprora have vitellaria restricted to the posterior of the body.
The eggs are 100 to 110 µm long by 60 to 67 µm in width.
LIFE CYCLE: The life cycle, although not known, is probably similar to that of Echinochasmus.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND PATHOGENESIS: Thought to be asymptomatic.
TREATMENT: Probably praziquantel, but not reported.
EPIZOOTIOLOGY: Cats become infected by eating raw fish.
HAZARD TO OTHER ANIMALS: None. Although other hosts are infected, the major means of infection is through the ingestion of the fish intermediate host which requires that the appropriate snail also be available. Thus, infection of these other hosts will typically only occur in the wild.
HAZARD TO HUMANS: None.
CONTROL/PREVENTION: Prevention of the ingestion of raw fish.
REFERENCES:
Beaver PC. 1937. Notes on Stephanoprorapolycestus (Dietz) from the American crow. Trans Ill State Acad Sci 29:247-250.
Isaichikoff IM. 1925. Parasitic worms of domestic carnivores in Crimea. Uchen Trudy Sibirsk Vet 6:47-104.
Kuntz RE, Chandler AC. 1956. Studies on Egyptian trematodes with special reference to the Heterophyids of mammals. I. Adult flukes, with descriptions of Phagicolalongicollis n. sp., Cynodiplostomumnamrui n.sp., and a Stephanoprora from cats. J Parasitol. 42:445-459.