4.

2-PLATYHELMINTHES

Class Cestoda (The Tapeworms)

Phylum Plathyhelminthes Includes parasitic flatworm which are grouped

under two classes
Class Cestoda
Class Trematoda

 Hermaphrodite
General characteristics:
Flat and bilaterally symmetrical
Have segmented body
Acquired by ingestion of raw or undercooked beef, pork,
fish or food or water contaminated with faeces
Following their ingestion, the infective larvae or eggs
containing larvae develop into adults in the small intestine
or the larvae invade the intestinal wall, enter a blood
vessel, and lodge in such tissues as muscle, liver, and eye.
Symptoms are associated with the particular organ affected
Although most patients remain symptom free, some have
vague abdominal discomfort, hunger pangs, indigestion,
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and anorexia, and vitamin B deficiency may develop.

Morphology
Adult

Segmented long tape-like worms

Vary from few mm to several
meters
No mouth/digestive system.
Obtains its nutrient by
absorption through body surface.
Sex:- Hermaphrodites
Have well developed
reproductive system.

Classification
1.

Order Cyclophyllidea

1. T. saginata,
2. T. solium,
3. Hymenelopis spps
4. Echinococcus granulosus
2.

Order Pseudophyllidea

Less medically important:

Order Cyclophyllidea
T. multiceps
Dipylidium caninum
Echinococcus multicuralis.

Order Pseudophyllidea
Spirometra species

1. Diphyllobothrium latum
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Taenia species
Geographical Distribution: T. saginata
World wide distribution where cattle are raised and beef is eaten raw or under cooked.
Very common in Ethiopia

T. solium
Not widely distributed as T saginata.
Common in all areas where raw or partially cooked pork is eaten.
Common throughout Mexico, South America and southern Africa &
southern Europe.
Not reported from Ethiopia

Morphology:
T. saginata
Adult:
Size: 4-10 m long (can
reach up to 20 m)
Colour: ivory white
Strobila : 1000-2000
proglottides
Mature segment: 1-2cm
long

T. solium
Adult
Size: 2-3m
Colour: pale blue
Strobila: 800-1000
Proglottides
Mature segment :0.5-1.5 cm

Transmission and life cycle

Transmission
Humans become infected by ingesting raw or
undercooked meat infected with cystcerus larvae:
Beef- T saginata
pork meat T.solium

Taenia solium

Distinct difference with T. saginata is that humans can

be infected with egg stage and onocosphere migrates to
some site in body and develops into cycticercus
This can be serious, called Cysticercosis

Hymenolepis nana

Dwarf Tapeworm

Vampirolepis nana

 Geographical Distribution: H.nana is widely distributed in countries with

warm climates than in cold climates and fairly
common in Ethiopia.
Children are more commonly infected than
adults.

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 Egg: H nana
Size: 35-50m
Shape: oval, almost round
Shell: double; thin external membrane
and internal membrane often thicker at
the poles. Thread like polar filaments
coming from both poles

:H dimunata
Shell with double shell and with out
thread like polar filaments.

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Echinococcus granulosus
Sheep Tapeworm
Geographic Distribution: Most common in
sheep raising countries
New Zealand and Australia highest incidence
Among the pastoral people of South and south east
ethiopia

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Diphyllobothrium latum
Common name: Fish tapeworm
Geographical Distribution: Widely distributed in the lake areas of Europe,
Asia, Far East, North America, South America and
Central Africa .

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Diphyllobothrium latum
Fish tapeworm
Important parasite of
man.
Definitive hosts can be
humans, dogs, foxes, cats,
mink, bears, and seals.
Site of attachment :
small intestine.

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Diphyllobothrium latum
Fish tapeworm
humans are infected
with the plerocercoid .
In humans the
tapeworm can reach a
length of 10 meters
(>30 feet) and produce
over a million eggs a
day! .
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General characterstis
Are generally flat, unsegmented, leaf
shaped worms
(exception, schistosomes- cylindrical)

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Vary in size from species just visible to the

naked eye
to large fleshy species,

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 Based on their habitat.

Liver fluke.

F. hepatica
F. gigantica
C vivereni
O. sinensis

Intestinal fluke
F buski
H. hetrophyes
M. yokogawi

Lung fluke
P westermani

Lung fluke
P westermani

Blood fluke

S. mansoni
S. hematobium
S. japonicum
S. intrecalatum

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Blood fluke

S. mansoni
S. hematobium
S. japonicum
S. intrecalatum
S. mekongi

Animal schistosome
which occasionally
infect humans

Schistosoma mattheel
Schistosoma bovis
Schistosoma rodhaini
Schistosoma
margrebowiei

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The Schistosomes

General feature:
They reside in the blood
vessels of the definitive host
in their life cycles. Hence
the common name Blood
Flukes.
The sexes are separate (they
are dioecious)
They are long cylindrical(~
20mm) and adopted to life in
blood vessel
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 Male worm has a split

body called the
gynecophoral canal.
The female is usually
found within this canal
safe in the arms of her
lover. She leaves only
during the egg laying
period.
Males are broader and
females are filiform and
larger than male
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Cont
Species differences in Site Preferences of
Adults (male and female in copula)
S. mansoni veins of Large Intestine
S. haematobium veins of bladder
S. japonicum veins of small intestine

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Terminal spine
at one pole

large, triangular very small

lateral spine near hook- like
the rounded end

Lateral spine
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Liver Flukes
General Features
Adults are large and live in the liver or
biliary duct
Eggs
are
large
and
contain
undeveloped ovum when passed in the
faeces
They are hermaphrodite
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Liv. Conti.
Include
Fasciola hepatica
Fasciola gigantica
Clonorchis(opisthorchis) sinensis
Opisthorchis viverrini
Opisthorchis felineus

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Fasciola hepatica
Common name: sheep liver fluke

Geographical Distribution
Cosmopolitan; prevalent in most sheep
and cattle raising countries

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Fa. he. Conti.

In Ethiopia

does not play an important role in human

health in Ethiopia
only as few reported cases of the disease;
as result of finding eggs in the stools of
people who had consumed infected liver of
sheep or cattle
Causes serious economic loss throughout
the highlands in Ethiopia by infecting cattle
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and sheep

Fa. he. Conti.

Habitat
Adult: In the bile duct of sheep, goat ,
cattle & man
Egg: In faeces
All larva stages: Fresh water snail
Metacercaria: on water vegetations
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Fa. he. Conti.

Morphology
Adult

Fasciola hepatica adult

stage

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Fa. he. Conti.

Eggs- marked operculum

at one pole
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Clonorchis(opisthorchis)
sinensis
Common name: Chinese Liver fluke
Geographical Distribution
Far east- China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan

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Intestinal Flukes
Include
Fasciolopsis buski
Heterophyes heterophyes
Metagonimus yokogawai
Gastrodiscoides homines

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Fasciolopsis buski
Common name: Giant intestinal fluke
Geographical Distribution :China, Taiwan,
Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia

Habitat
Adults: small intestine of man , pig, dog,
Eggs: In the faeces of man, Pig, dog,
Larval forms: Fresh water snails
Metacercariae: encysted on certain aquatic
vegetation
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Morphology
Adult
Size: 20-75mm by 820mm
Large, fleshy, flat worm

Egg oval Small operculum

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Heterophyes
heterophyes
Geographical Distribution: China,
Japan, Egypt, Korea, Taiwan

Habitat
Adult: In small intestine of man, cat,
dog, fox
Egg : In the faeces
Larval forms: In fresh water snails
Metacercariae: fresh water fish
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Het. he. Conti.

Morphology
Adult: Size: 1-2mm;has three suckers
:oral, ventral & genital suckers
Egg: Similar to the egg of Clonorchis
sinensis
Shell: Slightly thicker than Clonorchis
sinensis
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Lung Fluke
Paragonimus westermani
Common name: Oriental lung fluke

Geographical Distribution
Extensively distributed in the Far East &
West African countries : Zaire, Nigeria,
Cameroon & South America
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Par. we. Conti.

Habitat
Adults: In the lung of man
Eggs: In the sputum of man
Larval forms: Fresh water snails
Metacercariae: Fresh water crabs
&
crayfish
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Par. we. Conti.

Morphology
Adult: Size: 7.5mm-12mm by 46mm
Egg
Shape: oval but asymmetrical
Has flattened operculum

Paragonimus
westermani egg

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