Heterophyidae

JACQUIELYN A. BAYDO, DVM

Class Trematoda: Digenea
Families:
1. Fasciolidae (4 genera)
2. Dicrocoeliidae (3 genera)
3. Opisthorchiidae (4 genera)
4. Echinostomatidae (5 genera)
5. Heterophyidae (6 genera)
6. Plagiorchiidae (2 genera)
7. Notocotylidae (3 genera)
8. Brachylaemidae (2 genera)
9. Troglotrematidae (4 genera)
10. Cyclocoelidae (1 genus)
11. Paramphistomatidae (10 genera)
12. Strigeidae (3 genera)
13. Diplostomatidae (2 genera)
14. Schistosomatidae (3 genera)
 Family Heterophyidae
Intestines of mammals and birds
Small trematodes, usually not over 2 mm long
Wider posteriorly than anteriorly
Genital pore and the ventral sucker: located in a ventro-genital sac

Life cycle: generally involves 2 IHs: freshwater snails and fishes or frogs
Family Heterophyidae
Heterophyes
Metagonimus
Euryhelmis
Cryptocotyle
Apophallus
Rossicotrema
 Family Heterophyidae
Heterophyes heterophyes
◦ Small pear-shaped fluke; wider
posteriorly
◦ Measures 1–1.7 mm by 0.3–0.7 mm
VS: anterior to the middle of the body
GS: bears an incomplete circle of 70-80 rods
Testes: oval and horizontal
Ova: thick shells with an operculum which
fits into a thickened rim
 Heterophyes heterophyes
Predilection site: Small intestine
Geographical distribution: Egypt, Asia,
Middle East, Far East
DH: Dog, cat, fox, human, fish-eating birds

1st IH: Snail

◦ Pirenella conica
◦ Cerithideopsilla cingulata (in Asia)
2nd IH: Fish
◦ Mugil cephalus, M. japonicus
 Heterophyes heterophyes
Pathogenicity
◦ Ingestion of raw/salted fish.
◦ Fesikh – Egypt
◦ Severe human cases may show hemorrhagic diarrhea

Treatment
◦ Carbon tetrachloride, praziquantel

Prevention and Control

◦ Do not eat fish that is salted <10 days; control of snail IH
 Family Heterophyidae
Metagonimus yokogawai
◦ Small flukes (1–2.5 mm by 0.4–0.7 mm)
◦ Wider posteriorly than anteriorly
◦ Cuticle: bears spines over its whole surface

VS: right of the median line; close to the genital

pore, which opens anteriorly.
Testes: slightly oblique
Ovary: median
 Metagonimus yokogawai
Predilection site: Small intestine
Geographical distribution: Asia, Balkans; also in Siberia,
Manchuria, Israel, and Spain
DH: Dog, cat, pig, human, fish-eating birds

1st IH: Snail

◦ Semisulcospira spp.
(Semisulcospira coreana, Semisulcospira libertina)
2nd IH: Cyprinid fish, mullet, trout (sweetfish:
Plecoglossus altivelis)
 Family Heterophyidae
Euryhelmis squamula
◦ Body: broad and flat

VS: near the middle

Uterus: relatively short; consists of 3 loops; principally
situated at the left side of the body
Testes are lobed and horizontal in position.
Ovary: lobed; anterior to the right testis
Vitellaria: numerous; primarily lateral; extend from the
posterior region of the body to the intestinal bifurcation
 Euryhelmis squamula
Predilection site: Intestine
Geographical distribution: Europe, North America, Asia (Korea)
DH: Fox, raccoon, badger, polecat, weasel, mink

1st IH: Snail (Bythinella hemphilli)

2nd IH: Frogs and toads (e.g. Ascaphus truei, Rana temporaria)
 Euryhelmis squamula
Pathogenicity: Severe infection – fatal hemorrhagic enteritis in
minks

Treatment: tetrachlorethylene
Plagiorchiidae
JACQUIELYN A. BAYDO, DVM
Class Trematoda: Digenea
Families:
1. Fasciolidae (4 genera)
2. Dicrocoeliidae (3 genera)
3. Opisthorchiidae (4 genera)
4. Echinostomatidae (5 genera)
5. Heterophyidae (6 genera)
6. Plagiorchiidae (2 genera)
7. Notocotylidae (3 genera)
8. Brachylaemidae (2 genera)
9. Troglotrematidae (4 genera)
10. Cyclocoelidae (1 genus)
11. Paramphistomatidae (10 genera)
12. Strigeidae (3 genera)
13. Diplostomatidae (2 genera)
14. Schistosomatidae (3 genera)
 Family Plagiorchiidae
Plagiorchis
Prosthogonimus*
◦ Has also been classified under its own family: Prosthogonimidae
 Family Plagiorchiidae
Plagiorchis arcuatus
◦ Oval; 4–5 mm by 1.5 mm
◦ Tapers to a point at both ends
◦ Cuticle: w/ small spines (more numerous in the anterior region)

Testes: rounded or oval; lie obliquely behind each other

Ovary: rounded; situated near the end of the cirrus sac, and to the
right of the ventral sucker
 Plagiorchis arcuatus
Predilection site: Oviduct and bursa of Fabricius
Geographical distribution: Parts of Europe and Russia
DH: Chicken, turkey and other poultry

1st IH: snails (Lymnaea and Physa spp.)

2nd IH: dragonflies (Sympetrum and Calopteryx),
various crustacea, molluscs, and insects
 Family Plagiorchiidae
Plagiorchis megalorchis

Predilection site: intestine

DH: Turkeys

1st IH: Snail; Lymnaea peregra

2nd IH: Nematoceran; Culicoides, Chironomus, Anatopynia
 Family Plagiorchiidae
In the Philippines:
Plagiorchis vespertilionis – mouse-eared bat (Myotis sp.)
P. philippinensis – rats and humans
P. potamonides – rats
P. maculosus – birds
P. dilimanensis – in laboratory mice
 Family Prosthogonimidae
Found in cloaca, oviduct, and Bursa of Fabricius of birds

Cercariae will enter dragonfly larvae via the rectal

respiratory chamber
Eventually encyst as the metacercaria stage in the hemocoel
Infection of DH: occurs through ingestion of the infected
nymphal stage or the adult dragonfly
 Family Prosthogonimidae
Prosthogonimus pellucidus

1st IH: Water snails

◦ Bithynia
2nd IH: Dragonfly nymphs
◦ Tetragoneuria, Leucorhynia, Epicordulia, Mesotheronis
(North America)
◦ Libellula, Platycnemis, Epicordulia (Europe)
 Family Prosthogonimidae
Prosthogonimus pellucidus
◦ DH: Chicken, turkey, other fowl, goose, duck
◦ Predilection site: Cloaca, oviduct, bursa of Fabricius
Prosthogonimus macrorchis
◦ Chicken, turkey, other fowl, ducks
◦ Lower gut, cloaca, oviduct, bursa of Fabricius
Prosthogonimus ovatus
◦ Chicken, turkey, other fowl, geese
◦ Cloaca, oviduct, bursa of Fabricius
 Family Prosthogonimidae
Species occurring in the Philippines:
◦ P. cuneatus
◦ P. pseudopellucidus
 Family Prosthogonimidae
CS and Pathology:
◦ Several hens may begin to lay soft-shelled eggs or without shell at all
◦ Milky fluid in cloaca
◦ Pendulous abdomen
◦ Peritonitis  Cyanotic comb and wattle
◦ Death

Diagnosis: eggs in cloaca or at abdominal cavity (necropsy)

Treatment: no satisfactory treatment; albendazole and praziquantel may be useful

Notocotylidae
JACQUIELYN A. BAYDO, DVM
 Family Notocotylidae
Notocotylus attenuatus
◦ Ova: small; long filaments at poles
◦ DH: Chicken, duck, goose, wild aquatic birds
◦ Predilection site: Ceca, rectum

IH: aquatic snails

◦ Planorbis rotundatus, Limnaea palustris, Limnaea limosa and Bulinus
striatulus japonicas
 Notocotylus attenuatus
Pathogenesis
◦ May cause erosion of cecal mucosa leading to diarrhea;
otherwise not considered pathogenic

Treatment
◦ Oxyclozanide is highly effective
◦ Bithionol
 Family Notocotylidae
In the Philippines:
◦ N. intestinalis – intestine of chicken and duck
◦ N. naviformis – intestine of duck
◦ N. pacifer – intestine of common moorhen
 Family Notocotylidae
Catatropis verrucosa
◦ Ova: Elliptical, reddish, long filaments at poles
◦ DH: Chicken, duck, goose, other aquatic birds
◦ Predilection site: Caeca

IH: snail (Planorbis corneus)

Cercaria  encysts as metacercaria in water plants, snails, etc.  ingested by DH

 Family Notocotylidae
Cymbiforma indica = Ogmocotyle indica

DH: Sheep, goat, cattle

Predilection site: Small intestine