Some Studies on Coenurus Species in Sheep in the Sudan

Abstract

This study was to determine prevalence of muscular coenurosis among sheep slaughtered for local consumption and for export in Khartoum and to investigate the life cycle and development of the parasite in the definitive host. The survey was carried out at Omdurman slaughter house. Five thousand carcasses along with their visceral organs were examined for the presence of Coenurus spp. cysts. The animals were 7 months to 2 years of age. The infection was found in 38 (0.76%) animals. Forty cysts were collected. The cysts were identified as Coenurus gaigeri. The distribution of 26 cysts in the body of the animals was as follows: 20 (76.9%) were in the skeletal muscles, one cyst (3.84%) was in each of lung, heart, liver, tail, back and ribs. The length of the cysts ranged from 0.5 to 9.6 cm with an average of 5.5 cm. The width ranged from 0.2 to 8 cm with an average of 4.3 cm. The number of scolices per cyst ranged between 1 and 1504 and this was proportional to the size of the cyst. The number of hosteller hooks per scolex ranged between 12 and 26. The viability of the cysts was 86.2%. No distinct pathological signs were observed and the economic implications were briefly discussed. The Hamari and Kabbashi sheep had higher infection than the White Nile type. Experimental infection of dogs with C. gaigeri was carried out in 12 dogs of three age groups ranging from 1 to 6 months. The dogs received different levels of infection doses. Recovery rates ranged between 11.6% and 98%. The optimum dose ranged between 50 and 70 scolices per head. Adult worms were found localizing in the middle third of the small intestine of the definitive hosts and it is non pathogenic