Animal Parasitology. Health, Medicine, Nursing Coursework

Animal Parasitology
1. There are four types of nematode eggs: ascaroid, trichostrongyle, spiruoid, and trichinelloid. Describe characteristics of each of these eggs and identify an example of a nematode that produces each type of egg.
Ascaroid eggs; they are brown, with thick walls and a pitted surface. If the count is more than 1000 epg, this is an indication of significant infection. Migrating larvae cannot be observed by the naked eye as they are too small. An example is roundworm.
Trichostrongyle eggs; they are oval, 85–115 um, elongated, and pointed at either one side or both ends. They are similar to hookworm eggs in appearance, but slightly larger. An example is hookworm.
Spiruoid eggs; they are elliptical and measure around 42–53Ч29–35 µm. They have a thick and clear smooth shell that contains a coiled L1 during laying. An example is Capillaria spp egg.
Trichinelloid; eggs are unembryonated; shell is thick, yellow brown, and symmetric; shell has polar plugs at both ends. An example is Trichinella spiralis.
2. What is the Baermann technique? What is it used for and how does it work? Describe the procedure to perform this technique and give an example of a parasite that could be found using this technique.
What it is
A fecal Baermann is a special technique used for detecting certain types of worms or parasites. Many parasites shed their eggs in the stool of the host.
What it is used for and how it works
A simple fecal flotation test can be used to diagnose infection with these parasites, whereby the stool is examined using a microscope to establish if there are parasite eggs present.
Procedure
In this technique, stool material is placed on a special collection device that is funnel-shaped and then covered with warm water and then the sample left for 1-2 hours. During this period, larvae in the stool actively move out of the sample and then sink at the bottom of the collection device. They are then collected for identification.
An example of a Parasite that can be found using this technique
An example in this case is the lungworm.
3. Describe the importance of the Linnaean classification system and identify the categories within the system. Identify the kingdoms of importance to veterinary parasitology and give examples of parasites that belong to each of these kingdoms.
The importance of the Linnaean classification system
The importance of the Linnaean system is that it led researchers to the adoption and use of the binomial nomenclature, which is used for identifying different species. Adoption of the system has enabled scientists to communicate without the use of common names which are misleading. Human beings became members of Homo sapiens regardless of the language that one spoke.
In the system, nature is classified into a hierarchy.
Kingdoms of importance to veterinary parasitology
Linnaeus proposed three broad groups, referred to as kingdoms, where the entire nature could fit. The broad kingdoms are plants, animals, and minerals. Examples of Parasites in each kingdom include the following;
Plants; corpse flower, Thurber’s stemsucker, Dodder, Dwarf mistletoe, and Australian Christmas tree
Animals; Roundworm, Dirofilaria im...