Monieziasis

Scientific classification Animalia Kingdom: Cestoda Class: Order: Cyclophylidea Family: Anoplocephalidae Genus: Moniezia Species: M.expansa M.benedeni

Introduction Moniezia tapeworms are found worldwide with a variable incidence do not affect dogs, cats, horses, swine or poultry the disease caused by moniezia spp called monieziasisThey inhabit the small intestine of mammalian host. Their life cycle is indirect requiring intermediate host, which are oribatid mites Moniezia spp. are the commonest in young animals

species. Of moniezia 1-Moniezia expansa (the sheep tapeworm, the double-pored ruminant tapeworm; more frequent in sheep and goats act as final host and the worm found in small intestine) 2-Moniezia benedeni (more frequent in cattle act as final host also the worm found in small intestine) 3-There are some related species (e.g. Avitellina centripunctata,Thysaniezia ovilla) that are not pathogenic

Morphology Adult Moniezia worms belong to the largest parasitic worms of livestock. They can reach up to 10 m in length. Moniezia expansa can be up to 1.5 cm wide, Moniezia benedeni up to 2,5 cm, The head (scolex) has 4 ,The (unarmed scolices)suckers but no hooks body (or strobila) has hundreds and up to thousands of segments (called proglottids)

each segment has its own reproductive organs of both sexes (they are hermaphroditic) The reproductive organs in each segment have a common opening called the genital pore. In young segments all these organs are still rudimentary. They develop progressively, which increases the size of the segment as it is pushed towards the tail. Mature gravid segments are full of eggs (several thousands) and detach from the strobila to be shed outside the host with its feces. The testes are numerous

and excretory cells known as flame cells (protonephridia) they have neither a digestive tube, nor a circulatory or respiratory systems. They don't need them because each segment absorbs what it needs directly through its tegument. Individual gravid segments in the feces are visible by the naked eye. They are characterized by the presence of interproglottid glands in M. expansa this glands found at the posterior margin of each segment extend the full width but occupy only the midzone of the M. benedeni segment. are yet undefined in terms of function

Characteristic of eggs The eggs have a thick envelope. Those of Moniezia expansa have a triangular shape and Moniezia benedeni are cube-shaped and contain an onchosphere with in a pyriform apparatus

Life cycle Moniezia spp. has an indirect life cycle with ruminants (sheep, goats, cattle,) as final hosts, and oribatid mites (also called "moss mites" and "beetle mites") as intermediate hosts. The adults of some Moniezia species lay eggs already in the intestine of their final hosts that are shed with the feces. In other species the gravid segments containing the eggs are shed out and release the eggs only outside the host. The eggs are sticky and adhere to the vegetation or soil particles. Depending on the species and the region they can survive for months in the environment and some may survive cold winters The eggs are eaten by soil mites inside the intestine of mites, the eggs hatch and the oncospheres

penetrate into the haemocoel and develops to the cysticercoid stage penetrate into the haemocoel and develops to the cysticercoid stage. This stage may take up to 4 months. When the infected mite is eaten by the grazing ruminants, mature cysticercoids are digested out of the mite, the cysticercoids that attach to the gut's wall and develop to adult tapeworms within a several weeks, depending on the worm species and the final host.. and develop into mature tapeworms in the small intestine within 5–6 weeks.

Pathogenicity The toxin of parasite cause young animals being neurosis including walking in circles spasm non-food mastication gain and intestinal obstruction When there are lots of Moniezia, the intestines will become enteremphraxia,even have been ruptured.

symptoms M. expansa infections are generally harmless and asymptomatic, even when the tapeworms are present in large numbers in young lambs. However heavy infection may cause 1- intestinal obstruction, 2-diarrhea and weight loss 3-Decreased appetite 4-emaciation 5-anaemia,listless 6-gravid proglottid in feces

Diagnosis Diagnosis is done by: 1-analysis stool sample in which eggs can be detected, or often observation of the gravid proglottids in feces and anus 2-When there is no proglottids in feces ,using the flotation method 3-After necropsy the large tapeworms are easily seen inside the gut.

Treatment 1-Niclosamide is most often used 2-praziquantel + levamisole combination is very effective in reducing worm burden and improvement of weight 3-Albendazole:5mg per kilogram of body weight for cattle, or 20mg for sheep