Classification

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Animalia Nematoda Secernentea Strongylida Trichostrongylidae
Trichostrongylus
1. T. axei
2. T. colubriformis
3. T. vitrinus
4. T. tenuis

1. Cattle, sheep, goat, deer, horse, pig Abomasum or stomach

2. Cattle, sheep, goat, camel, rabbit, pig, dog, human Duodenum, anterior small intestine
3. Sheep, goat, camel, deer, rabbit Duodenum, small intestine
4. Bird Small intestine, caeca
Morphology
• Adult: small, slightly reddish/brown in colour, slender and hair-like, usually less than 7.0 mm long
• No obvious buccal capsule and cephalic inflations are absent
• Well developed copulatory bursa present
• The spicules are thick and unbranched and a gubernaculum is present
• In the female, the tail is bluntly tapered and no vulval flap and the vulva opens a short distance
from the middle of the body.
• The females possess double ovejectors.
• Presence of excretory notch in the esophageal region
• Diagnosis: based on the observation of eggs in the faeces.
• The eggs are 85–115 um, oval, elongated, and pointed at one or both ends
• Contains many blastomeres
• The small poles are very similar and the side walls are parallel
[Trichostrongylus eggs must be differentiated from hookworm eggs, which are smaller and do
not have pointed ends.
Also differentiated from those of Ostertagia which have wider poles and more spherical walls]
Life cycle
Harmful effect
• Plaque of 1-2 cm in diameter in the site of infection
• increase in plasma pepsinogen level and hypoalbuminaemia
• C/S: rapid weight loss and diarrhoea
• Pathology:
• In sheep, extensive desquamation of the superficial epithelium of the mucosa.
• A mucoid hyperplasia is seen in the plaques
• Cellular infiltration of the lamina propria occurs,
• an influx of eosinophils and lymphocytes.
• Over time, infection can lead to a chronic proliferative inflammation and shallow depressed ulcers may
be present.
Treatment and control
• benzimidazoles, levamisole, an avermectin/milbemycin
• Use anthelmintics sparingly
• Use anthelmintics effectively
• Monitor for anthelmintic resistance
• Use the appropriate anthelmintic
• H

• Use effective quarantine procedures

• Use strategies to conserve susceptible worms
• Use strategies that reduce the reliance on anthelmintics