Pygidiopsis genata

Pygidiopsis genata

<p align="CENTER"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Pygidiopsis genata</b></i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Looss, 1907</b></span></span></p> <p align="CENTER"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>(Figure 2-17)</b></span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>ETYMOLOGY:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pygidiopsis</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> (pygid=posterior; opsi=late) along with </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>genata</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> (referring to the genital opening).</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>SYNONYMS:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> None.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>HISTORY:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> This parasite was described by Looss (1907) from specimens recovered from a pelican, </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pelecanus onocrotalus</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Naturally infected cats have been found in Europe, Egypt (29.2% of stray cats in Dakahlia, Abo-Shady</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> et al</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">., 1983), and Asia.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>LOCATION IN HOST:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Small intestine.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>PARASITE IDENTIFICATION:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The posterior end of the body is wider than the anterior body. the entire body is covered with small spines. </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pygidiopsis</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> has a two symmetrical testes and a single gonotyl. The worm is 0.4 to 0.7 mm long and 0.2 to 0.4 mm wide. The body is covered with small spines, and 16 larger spines surround the mouth. The eggs are 18 to 22 µm long by 9 to 12 µm wide.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>LIFE CYCLE:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The snail intermediate host is </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Melania tuberculata</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. The cercariae have a dorsal fin and eye spots. The cercariae encyst in brackish-water fish of the genus </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Tilapia</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> (Boulos</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> et al</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">., 1981). Cats have been experimentally infected by the feeding of infected fish.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND PATHOGENESIS:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Thought to be asymptomatic.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>TREATMENT:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Probably praziquantel, but not reported.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>EPIZOOTIOLOGY:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Cats become infected by eating raw fish. Chicks have also been shown to serve as experimental hosts of this trematode, and it is likely that the natural host is a marine bird. </span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>HAZARD TO OTHER ANIMALS:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> 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.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>HAZARD TO HUMANS:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Humans have been reported to be infected with this parasite in Egypt (Boulos</span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i> et al</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">., 1981). Infections were probably acquired by the ingestion of raw fish.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CONTROL/PREVENTION:</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Prevention of the ingestion of raw fish.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>REFERENCES:</b></span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Abo-Shady AF, Ali MM, Abdel-Magied S. 1983. Helminth parasites of cats in Dakahlia, egypt. J Egypt Soc PArasitol 13:129-133,</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Boulos LM, Abdou LA, Girgis RS. 1981. Histopathological and histochemical studies on experimentally infected hamsters with </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pygidiopsis</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>genata</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 11:67-76.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looss A. 1907. Notizen sur Helminthologie Aegyptiens. VII. Ueber einige neue Trematoden der ägyptischen Fauna. Centralbl Bakt Parasitenk Infekt 43:478-490.</span></span></p> <p align="JUSTIFY"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Figure 2-17.</b></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pygidiopsis</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>genata</i></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> from the small intestine of a domestic cat in Cairo, Egypt. </span></span></p>