Strongyloides stercoralis:

- Smallest nematode of human intestine

Morphology:

a. Adult
b. Egg
c. Larva

a. Adult:
- Male and Female
 Male:
Shorter and wider (but in other parasite, males are shorter and narrower). They have 2 copulatory spicules.
They don’t cause infection and don’t penetrate intestinal wall.

 Female:
Females are longer and narrower. In anterior 1/3 rd there is esophagus and in posterior 2/3 rd there is intestine
which opens into anus. The reproductive system has PAIRED uterus, vagina and vulva. Uterus opens into
vulva. In a single uterus, there is a single row of 8-10 eggs.

b. Egg:
The parasite is ovo-viviparous. Means the egg hatch into larva when laid in the intestine. So, we won’t get any
ova/egg in the stool. Rather, larval form is seen !!!!!
Eggs are transparent and ovoid.

c. Larva:
Once egg hatch, larval form is seen. 1st larval form is Rhabditiform (L1 larva) larva. It is short and has double bulb
esophagus. It is the most common form of larva seen in stool.

Filariform larva (L3 larva) is seen when the Rhabditiform larva moults twice. It is longer than Rhabditiform larva.
It has long and narrow oesophagus. Its tail is NOTCHED. It is the infective form of parasite.

Life cycle:

1. Direct lifecycle
2. Indirect lifecycle
 Female lays eggs

Rhabditiform larva hatches

out

Moults into filariform larva

Passes into the soil
within gut wall to cause
through stool
auto-infection

Internal auto-infection:
External Autoinfection:
Filariform larva penetrates Develops into filariform Develops into free living
Filariform larva in stool
the bowel mucosa in larva male and female.
which penetrates perianal
immuno-compromised
and perineal skin.
state

Female lays eggs. Egg

hatches into rhabditiform
Penetrates the skin of sole
larva. It may again either
and reaches to intestine
moult into filariform larva
via circulation
or mature into free living
adults.