The Animal Parasites of ManFantham, Harold Benjamin
Science
The Animal Parasites of Man
Fantham, Harold Benjamin
Medical parasitology
This parasite is yellowish-red in the fresh condition, and almost
transparent. The body is flat, with a conical neck at the level of the
ventral sucker marked by a shallow constriction; this, however, is only
noticeable in fresh and somewhat contracted specimens. Posteriorly
to the ventral sucker the lateral borders run fairly parallel; the
posterior end is either pointed or rounded off. The length and breadth
vary according to the contraction, being usually 8 to 11 mm. by 1·5
to 2 mm. The suckers are about one-fifth to one-sixth of the length
of the body distant from each other, and of about equal size (0·23 to
0·25 mm.). The œsophagus is hardly any longer than the pharynx, which
lies close behind the oral sucker; the intestinal cæca reach almost to
the posterior border and are often filled with blood. The excretory
pore is at the posterior extremity, and the excretory bladder forks in
front of the anterior testis. The testes in the posterior fourth of
the body lie obliquely one behind the other; the anterior one has four
lobes, the posterior one five lobes; the ovary is in the median line
transversely, simple or slightly lobed; behind it lies the large pear-
or retort-shaped receptaculum seminis and Laurer’s canal. The uterus
is in the median field. The vitellaria occupy the fairly broad lateral
areas, in about the central third of the body, beginning behind the
ventral sucker and terminating at about the level of the ovary; the
acini are small and arranged in groups of seven to eight, separated by
interstices. The genital pore is close in front of the ventral sucker.
The eggs are oval with sharply defined operculum at the pointed pole,
30 µ, by 11 µ.
This species, which is frequently confused with others, inhabits
the gall-bladder and bile-ducts of the domestic cat especially;
but is also found in the dog, in the fox, and in the glutton
(_Gulo borealis_). It has been observed in France, Holland, North
Germany (being particularly frequent in East Prussia), in Russia,
Scandinavia, Siberia, Japan, Tonkin, Hungary, and Italy. The North
American form (from cats and _Canis latrans_) is a distinct species
(_Opisthorchis pseudofelineus_).
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