Parasitic Diseases

1- Protozoal Diseases
A- Coccidiosis.
It the disease that affects the lower small
intestine ,caecum, colon and rectum of
cattle ,sheep , goats and other mammals.
The disease is caused by species of the
genus Eimeria which tend to be quite
host-specific.eg cattle are infected mainly
by E.zuernii and E.bovis
The most important species in sheep are
E.crandallis,E.ovinoidalis.In goats the the
most important species are
E.ninakohlyakimovae, E.christenseni and
E.arloningi.
The disease is of considerable economic
importance and may cause massive
losses in some flocks, particularly in
warm, humid areas, and crowded, wet
pens. In addition to increased mortality
among calves, lambs and kids.
Overcrowding, bad weather conditions,
sudden change of feed and other causes
of stress, in addition to heavy
contamination of pens with coccidial
oocysts, lead to overwhelming infections
in young animals
Acute Coccidiosis:
Severe diarrhea, with black feces,
mixed with blood and mucous.
Marked loss of appetite.
 Anemia and pallor of mucous
membranes.
Wool breakage.
Dehydration and sometimes renal
failure and death.
Mild Coccidiosis:
The symptoms are limited to mild
diarrhea and anorexia lasting for a short
period.
Young animals are most vulnerable to
infection which is usually associated
with unhygienic conditions.Adult animals
usually acquire immunity due to their
exposures to subsequent natural
challenges and serve as carriers.
. Infected animals are dull ,pyrexic and
produce watery faeces usually mixed
with blood, and passing of small
quantities of blood and faeces is a
characteristic sign with loss of hair inside
of the legs from faecal soiling ,anal
sphincter is open exposing the rectal
mucosa
The mucosa is necrotic and is sloughed
and this damage may extend to the
submucosa.The wall of the intestine is
oedematous and congested,inflamatory
cellsinfiltration and presence of different
stages of the parasite.In sheep and goats
nodular lesions are usually seen in the
jejunum as small mushroom like
growths.
 Differential diagnosis
1- Salmenollosis
2-Johns disease
-3-Gastrointestinal parasites
4-Arsenic poisoning
2-Helminthic Diseases:-
Haemonchosis:-
This is a major gastrointestinal parasite of
cattle and sheep caused by members of
genus Haemonchus. The worm which is a
blood sucker is found in the abomasum
and is called barbers pole worm or large
stomach worm. The cattle is infected by
H.placei and H.contortus affects sheep.
 Affected animals are dull
,depressed,weak,lethargic.The mucous
membranes are pale due to
anemia,submandibular oedema(bottle
jaw).Diarrheoa is occasionally seen.
Pale conjuctiva (sign of anaemia)
Submandibular oedema and alopecia of
the flank region
 
Pathological lesions
The post-mortem lesions vary and are
dependent on the severity of infection.In
general ,the carcase is pallid ,blood is
usually watery, hydrothorax,
hydropericardium,and ascites are usually
conspicuous, and extreme cachexia is
present.The liver is pale and friable.
The abomasum contains reddish brown
fluid ingesta and worms.The mucosa is
swollen and is covered by blood from the
laceration caused by the worm(bite
marks). Ulcers are occasionally seen.
In chronic cases caused by continuous low
level infection which lead to emaciation
and anaemia.
Differential diagnosis
1- Trypansomiasis
2- Babesiosis
3- Anaplasmosis
4-Theileriosis
Fasciolasis( liver fluke disease)
This is a disease caused by large flukes of
the genus Fasciola .The worms occur in
the bile ducts of sheep, goat , ox, and
other ruminants. In Sudan the disease is
caused by F. gigantica. and the water
snails Lymnaea spp serve as an
intermediate host, .The acute and chronic
form of infection occurring in sheep
though in cattle only the chronic form
occurs. In endemic areas the infection can
be extremely common.
The clinical signs of the acute form which
is less common and almost invariably seen
in sheep are charaterised by anorexia ,
distended abdomen which is painful to
the touch.Affected animals are disinclined
 to move .Death may occur rapidly or after
several days..The chronic form is the most
common of infection in sheep ,cattle,and
other animals including man and is
characterised by anaemia ,
oedema,hepatic fibrosis and
hyperplastic cholangitis.
-Mature flukes in the bile ducts and
haemorrhages
Fibrosis and thickening of bile ducts
 
Pathological lesions
The pathology of the acute form is
essentially a traumatic hepatitis produced
by the migration of large number of
immature trematodes .The lesions include
extensive destruction of liver parenchyma
and marked haemorrhage.Rupture of liver
capsule may
occur in very heavy infections with fatal
haemrrhage in the peritoneal cavity
The liver is usually enlarged, pale and
friable with numerous haemorrhagic
tracts and fibrinous clots on the surface of
it..Immature worms are seen in these
tracts Small immature worms can be
squeezed from cut surface
The lesions in the chronic form are
characterized by extensive liver fibrosis to
the extent that pericellular and
monolobular fibrosis may be seen.Chronic
cholangitis results in great thickening and
fibrosis.(Fig93)
 Presence of several yellowish and dark
areas arising from damage and necrosis
of liver parenchyma and the presence of
black deposits of parasitic waste
 
Differential diagnosis
1-Haemonchosis
2- Schistosmiasis
3- Nutrional deficiencies
Schistosmiasis.
The disease is caused by Schistosoma
bovis..It is highly prevalent in Sudan
particularly in irrigated schemes and
White Nile states The worm inhibits the
portal and mesenteric veins of cattle
,sheep and goats.The intermediate host is
 the aquatic snails belonging to the genus
Bulinus.
The disease is characterized by profuse
diarrhoea,dehydration,and anorexia
,anaemia ,oedema and loss of weight.In
chronic cases the affected animals are
emaciated and anaemic.
Immature and mature worms in a
mesenteric vessel
 
Pathological lesions
The lesions encountered in the acute form
are basically due to passage of large
number of eggs through the intestinal
mucousa into the lumen with resultant
 haemorrhages and mucosal destruction of
the intestinal wall
The intestinal mucosa is oedematous and
covered with haemorrhagic foci..Presence
of worms in mesenteric veins with
phlebitis sometimes leading to lumenal
occlusion ..In chronic cases The carcasse is
pale ,there is fibrous thickening of the
intestinal wall, massive fibrosis of the
portal triads is observed in the liver due to
fibrous tissue proliferation and fibrosis of
large number of granulomas .
 
Differential diagnosis.
1- Liver fluke disease .
2- Haemonchosis
3- Coccidiosis
Oesophagostumiasis ,Pimply Gut (Sheep
Nodular Worm):
This is a disease caused by species of the
genus Oesophagostumum .The adult
worms harbour the large intestine of
cattle , sheep and goats. O. radiatum
affects cattle mainly where as
O.columbianum infects sheep and goats.
These nematodes are often referred to as
nodular worms as they cause nodule
formation on the wall of the
intestine(pimply gut)

 
The acute disease is characterized by
persistent diarrhoea with dark green
foetid diarrhoeic faeces which is
sometimes fatal. In chronic form there is
an initial diarrhoea later followed by
constipation and occasional spells of
diarrhoea. Affected animals are emaciated
, weak.and prostrated which often
terminates in death particularly in young
stocks.
Emaciated and bony carcasse,Extensive
nodules in both small and large intestine
which are caseated and calcified.
Sometimes these suppurative nodules
may rupture to the peritoneal surface
causing peritonitis and adhesions.The
adult worms cause mucous inflammation
of the large intestine which is thickend
,congested with large mucous
production.Presence of adult worms in
the colon
Caseated and calcified nodules of the
serosal surface of the colon.
Differential diagnosis
1- Haemonchosis
2- Coccidiosis
3- Collbacllosis
4- Oestertagiasis
5- Enterobacteriace infections.
Hydatid cysts
These are the larval form of the adult
worm Echinococcus granulosus which
inhibits the intestine of the dog and some
other canids(definitive host). These larvae
uses domestic animals and man as
intermediate hosts.
However ,the most widespread strain uses
the a sheep-dog cycle and is common
wherever there is pastoral husbandry of
sheep.The cysts are usually small in
animals but in human the cysts can be
huge
Pathological lesions
Hydatid cysts occur most commonly in the
liver and lung with some species
variation .In sheep ,they may be more
common in lungs and liver . In the cattle
the liver is the usual site but it occurs in
the lungs. Less commonly , the brain
,heart, and bone may be sites of
development
Hydatid cysts are spherical, turgid and
fluid filled. They commonly measure5-10
cm , rarely ,may be larger.Degenerated
cysts can be observed some of which
become caseated and calcified.
Large number of hydatid cysts of different
sizes in the liver
- Intermediate Stages of Cestodes:
Cysticercus bovis
These cysticercus is the intermediate
stage of Taenia saginata whose adult
form lives in the intestines of man. The
adult tape worm is large and about 3-7
feet long
No overt clinical signs are observed in the
infected animal during antemortem
examination. Rarely, muscle stiffness or
fever may be noted.
 
Postmortem Findings:  
Small, whitish cysticerci cysts (5 x 10 mm)
containing clear fluid are seen in the
muscles, particularly masticatory muscles
and muscles of the tongue, heart and
diaphragm.
Old and dead cysts may show turbid fluid
content, and may also undergo
degenerative change, caseation and
calcification.