NEIHPID

Schistosoma indicum (Montgomery Montgomery) Back

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Taxonomy

Platyhelminthes »
       TREMATODA »
              Digenea »
                     Schistosomatidae (Stiles et Hassall, 1898) Poche, 1907 »
                            Schistosomatinae Stiles et Hassall, 1898 »
                                   Schistosoma Weinland, 1858 »
                                           Schistosoma indicum, Montgomery 1906

Host

Bos (indicus), Bubalus (bubalis)

Habitat

Portal and mesenteric veins

Locality

Guwahati (Assam), Shillong (Meghalaya), Tura (Meghalaya), Nongstoin (Meghalaya), Jowai (Meghalaya), Aizawl (Mizoram), Agartala (Tripura)

Description

Male

Body spinose, 8.31-13.65 mm long, 0.63-0.81 mm wide depending on folding of lateral edges, ratio of body width to body length 1:13.07-1:20.37. Oral sucker 0.13-0.31 mm by 0.13-0.31 mm. Ventral sucker 0.22-0.40 mm by 0.27-0.45 mm; between two suckers 0.31-0.67 mm. Intestine bifurcating at level of ventral sucker, reuniting at posterior region of body and continuing as single caecum for short distance. Testes clustered 6 -12 in number close behind ventral sucker.

Female

Body thinner than male, 8.04-11.52 mm in length, 0.18-0.22 mm in width, ratio of body width to body length 1:36.54-1:57.72. Oral sucker 0.037-0.056 mm by 0.033-0.056 mm. Ventral sucker 0.037-0.056 mm by 0.037-0.056 mm. Intestine bifurcating at level of ventral sucker, reuniting at posterior level of ovary and continuing as single caecum up to posterior end. Ovary behind middle of body, 0.21-0.54 mm by 0.06-0.12 mm. Vitellaria lateral, occupying posterior one-third of body. Eggs 0.065-0.112 mm by 0.020-0.037 mm; 21-27 in number.

Remarks

The present observations on S. indicum are in conformity with the descriptions provided by Yamaguti (1971) and Soulsby (1982). However, minor differences were observed regarding the measurements of body and eggs.

In north-eastern India, the occurrence of Schistosoma infection in livestock animals has earlier been reported in Manipur (Verma, 1976), Tripura (Roy, 1976) and Assam (Endrejat, 1964) , though the species involved was not indicated. The present investigation forms a new record of S. indicum from Meghalaya and Mizoram.

Helminthological collections record

NEHU/Z - TM/31

Specimen Type

Holotype: W7780/1 in Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

References

Yamaguti, S. (1971). Synopsis of digenetic trematodes of vertebrates. Vol.1. Tokyo (Keigaku Publishing Co.).

Soulsby, E. J. L. (1982). Helminths, Arthopods and Protozoa of Domesticated Animals. ELBS. Bailliere, Tindall and Cassell, London. pp 809

Roy, A. K. B. (1976). Survey of diseases in livestock and poultry of Tripura, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Annual Report (I.C.A.R.).pp 197-198.

Endrejat, E. (1964). Helminths and helminthic diseases in Assam. Indian Veterinary Journal. 41:pp 538-542.