PARAMPHISTOMATIDAE Canceran, John Christian G.

PARAMPHISTOMUM (RUMEN FLUKE)

 Found in the rumen and reticulum of ruminants.
 The adults are small, conical (pearshaped), maggot-like flukes.
 About 1.0 cm long and 3–5 mm wide and light red in colour when fresh.
 All require a water snail as an intermediate host

* Unlike
other flukes, the large ventral sucker is located at the posterior extremity of
the body and is well developed.
There are several genera:
Cotylophoron
Bothriophoron
Orthocoelium
Giganocotyle
* Paramphistomum
LIFE CYCLE
LIFE CYCLE
Eggs shed in the faeces are undeveloped → In an aquatic environment miracidia
develop and hatch to penetrate water snails in which they develop to cercaria,
following sporocyst and redial stages → The cercariae encyst (metacercariae) on
vegetation in, or bordering, watercourses and ponds → Development in the snail
intermediate host is similar to that of Fasciola and under favourable conditions (26–
30°C) can be completed in 4 weeks → Following ingestion by a definitive host the
metacercariae excyst in the duodenum, where the young flukes attach and feed for
about 6 weeks, before migrating forward to the forestomachs where they mature.
The prepatent period is between 7 and 10 weeks.
PATHOGENESIS
The adult parasites in the
forestomachs are generally well
tolerated, even when many thousands
are present and feeding on the wall
of the rumen or reticulum. Any
pathogenic effect is mainly
associated with the intestinal phase of
the infection, although the presence
of adults in the rumen has been
reported to cause effects on
rumination leading to weight loss and
ill‐thrift.
CLINICAL SIGNS
 In heavy duodenal infections, the most obvious sign is diarrhoea accompanied by
anorexia and intense thirst.
 Sometimes in cattle there is rectal haemorrhage following a period of prolonged
straining.
 Mortality in acute outbreaks can be as high as 90%.
DIAGNOSIS
 This is based on the clinical signs usually involving young animals in the herd and a
history of grazing around snail habitats during a period of dry weather.
 Faecal examination is of limited value since the acute disease occurs during the
prepatent period.
 However, large numbers of paramphistome eggs can sometimes be present in
faeces during acute disease as the intestinal phase may also be accompanied by
large numbers of adult flukes in the forestomach.
 Confirmation can be obtained by postmortem examination and recovery of the
small pink‐coloured immature flukes from the duodenal musosa and ileal contents.
PATHOLOGY
The immature flukes are embedded in the mucosa of the upper ileum and duodenum
and are plug feeders, and this can result in severe erosion of the duodenal mucosa.
In heavy infections:
Enteritis characterised by oedema, haemorrhage, ulceration and associated
anaemia and hypoproteinaemia.
At necropsy, the young flukes can be seen as clusters of brownish‐pink parasites
attached to the duodenal mucosa and occasionally also in the jejunum and
abomasum.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Paramphistomosis often depends for its continuous endemicity on permanent
water masses, such as lakes and ponds, from which snails are dispersed into
previously dry areas by flooding during heavy rains.
TREATMENT
Resorantel and oxyclozanide are considered the anthelmintics of choice against adult
rumen flukes in both cattle and sheep.
Recents studies have shown that closantel is also effective in cattle at 10 mg/kg.
CONTROL
 The best control is achieved by providing a piped water supply to troughs and
preventing access of animals to natural water.
 Regular application of a molluscicide at source or manual removal of snails is
necessary.
 Paramphistomum cervi
Synonym: Paramphistomum explanatum
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Description, gross: The adults are small, conical (pear‐shaped), maggot‐like flukes about
1.0 cm long and light red in colour when fresh.
Description, microscopic: One sucker is visible at the tip of the cone and the other
well‐developed sucker is at the base. The tegument has no spines. The larval stages
are less than 5.0 mm, fresh specimens having a pink colour. The egg resembles that of
Fasciola hepatica, being large (about 115–175 by 75–100 μm) and operculate, but
is transparent or slightly greenish rather than yellowish‐brown and slightly smaller
than eggs of F. hepatica. In the early stages of segmentation the egg contains four to
eight blastomeres surrounded by yolk cells.
Final hosts: Cattle, sheep, goat, deer, buffalo, antelope
Intermediate hosts: Water snails, principally Planorbis and Bulinus
Geographical distribution: Worldwide. They are of little veterinary significance in
Europe and America, but are occasionally the cause of disease in the tropics and
subtropics.
Paramphistomum microbothrium
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Final hosts: Cattle, sheep, goat, deer, buffalo, antelope
Intermediate hosts: Freshwater snails (Fossaria spp., Bulinus spp.)
Geographical distribution: Africa
Paramphistomum ichikawa
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Final hosts: Sheep, cattle
Intermediate hosts: Planorbid snails (Gyraulus, Helicorbis, Segnetilia)
Geographical distribution: Southeast Asia
Paraphistomum streptocoelium
Synonyms: Ceylonocotyle streptocoelium, Orthocoelium streptocoelium
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Final hosts: Cattle, sheep, goat and wild ruminants
Intermediate hosts: Freshwater snails (Glyptanisus spp.)
Geographical distribution: Africa
Calicophoron daubneyi
Synonyms: Paramphistomum daubnei, Paramphistomum daubneyi
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Description: Resembles P. cervi, but there is a genital sucker surrounding the genital
pore.
Final hosts: Cattle, goat
Intermediate hosts: Freshwater snails (Omphiscola spp.), Galba truncatula
Geographical distribution: Europe (mainly Mediterranean areas but also recorded in
the UK and Ireland), parts of Asia
 Cotylophoron cotylophorum
Synonym: Paramphistomum cotylophorum
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen, reticulum
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Description, microscopic: The fluke is very similar to Paramphistomumcervi but the genital pore is
surrounded by a genital sucker. The egg measures 125–135 by 60–68 μm.
Final hosts: Cattle, sheep and many other ruminants
Intermediate hosts: Freshwater snails (Bulinus spp.)
Geographical distribution: Indian subcontinent, Australia and many other countries except northern
temperate regions
Calicophoron calicophorum
Synonym: Paramphistomum calicophorum
Common name: Rumen fluke
Predilection site: Rumen, reticulum
Phylum: Platyhelminthes
Class: Trematoda
Family: Paramphistomatidae
Description, microscopic: The body measures 7.5–14.8 by 3–4 mm, and the genital
pore is post‐bifurcal. Eggs are 110–150 by 60–90 μm.
Final hosts: Cattle, sheep and many other ruminants
Intermediate hosts: Freshwater snails
Geographical distribution: Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Australasia and South
Africa
P. cervi P. microbothrium P. ichikawa P. streptocoelium C. cotylophorum C. calicophorum