NCVP - National Center for Veterinary Parasitology

  • Home
  • People
    • Directors, Staff, and Advisory Board
    • Current Residents >
      • Antech Resident
      • Boehringer Resident
      • Elanco Resident
      • IDEXX Resident
      • Merck Resident
      • Zoetis Resident
    • NCVP Alums
  • Resources
    • Case of the Month
    • Parasite Image Database
    • Parasite Videos
    • Teaching Materials >
      • Teaching Specimen Request
      • Parasite Jeopardy Games
    • Online Resources >
      • Parasitology Board Preparation
      • Additional Parasitology Resources
    • VetPDx >
      • Recordings of Monthly Meetings
    • NCVP Board Member Resources
  • Opportunities
    • Request for Proposals
    • Grant Portal
    • Residency Application
    • Continuing Education in Parasitology
    • Positions Open in Veterinary Parasitology
  • Newsletters
  • Home
  • People
    • Directors, Staff, and Advisory Board
    • Current Residents >
      • Antech Resident
      • Boehringer Resident
      • Elanco Resident
      • IDEXX Resident
      • Merck Resident
      • Zoetis Resident
    • NCVP Alums
  • Resources
    • Case of the Month
    • Parasite Image Database
    • Parasite Videos
    • Teaching Materials >
      • Teaching Specimen Request
      • Parasite Jeopardy Games
    • Online Resources >
      • Parasitology Board Preparation
      • Additional Parasitology Resources
    • VetPDx >
      • Recordings of Monthly Meetings
    • NCVP Board Member Resources
  • Opportunities
    • Request for Proposals
    • Grant Portal
    • Residency Application
    • Continuing Education in Parasitology
    • Positions Open in Veterinary Parasitology
  • Newsletters

Case of the Month

December 2015

 

Wellness fecals from a 15-head herd in Muskogee, OK

Fifteen fecal samples from cows in Muskogee, OK were submitted to the Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in Stillwater, OK as part of a routine wellness screen. The veterinarian that submitted the samples was specifically curious about Fasciola hepaticainfections. Fecal sedimentations were prepared, and the following egg was detected from one of the cows.
​100X total magnification:
Picture
​400X total magnification, stained with methylene blue:
Picture
What's your diagnosis?

Answer

This is not an egg of Fasciola hepatica, but rather an egg of Paramphistomum cervi, commonly known as the rumen fluke. Although F. hepatica and P. cervi have similar life cycles, requiring an aquatic snail as an intermediate host and encysting as infective metacercariae on aquatic vegetation, they inhabit different locations within ruminant hosts as adults; Fasciola hepatica resides in liver bile ducts, while P. cervi parasitizes the rumen, as its common name implies. Eggs of these two flukes also appear similar. Both are large (~120 µm length) and ovoid with an operculum. Eggs of F. hepatica, however, are yellow-brownish while P. cervieggs are relatively clear. Staining with methylene blue may help to distinguish the coloration better, as stained F. hepatica eggs will appear amber in color while P. cervi eggs will still appear relatively clear.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012


    Have feedback on the cases or a special case you would like to share? Please email us ([email protected]). We will appropriately credit all submittors for any cases and photos provided.