VPA 211: General Veterinary Parasitology and Helminthology (3+1)

MONIEZIA Spp.
(Moniezia expansa and Moniezia benedini)

Moniezia expansa

• Adults are up to 6 m in length. Scolex is wide and have prominent suckers.
• Segments are wider than long.
• It has double sets of reproductive organs, so it is known as “double pored ruminant tapeworm”.
• Vitelline glands and ovary from a ring on either side.
• Genital pore is marginal. Testes are numerous and distributed in the central field of the segment.
• At the posterior border of each segment a row of rosette like interproglottidal glands are present.
• The function of these glands are not known.
• The glands are extended along the full width of segments.

Moniezia Scolex

Eggs

• Triangular in shape contains oncosphere or hexacanth embryo and has pyriform apparatus.

Morphology of M. benedeni

• Morphology of M. benedeni is similar to M. expansa, except that, interproglottidal glands are concentrate at the centre of the segment only.
• It commonly occurs in cattle than other animals.

Eggs

• Square shaped.

Moniezia Egg

Life cycle 

• Oribatid mite act as a I/H common species – Scheloribates leavigatus and Scheloribates madrasensis (Anantaraman).
• Eggs are passed in the faeces of the host and are ingested by grass mite in which they develop into cysticercoid in four months.
• Final host acquire infection by ingestion of infected I/H.
• Prepatent period. 37 – 40 days.

Epidemiology

• Monieziosis commonly occur during November and December and infection is common in young lambs and calves.

Pathogenesis

• In adult animals, the infection is mild pathogenic but highly pathogenic in young animals causes malnutrition leading to reduced wool and meat production.
• The monieziosis predisposes the lambs to bacterial infection like Enterotoxaemia caused by Clostridium Perfrigens - type D.

Diagnosis

• Faecal examination for presence of eggs.
• Gross examination of faeces for the presence of gravid segments which looks like “cooked rice grain”.

Treatment

• Albendazole - 10mg/Kg b wt. (oral)
• Fenbendazole - 5mg/Kg b wt. (oral).
• Praziquantel - 15mg/Kg b wt. (oral).
• Niclosamide - 75 – 150 mg/Kg b wt. (oral).

Control

• Elimination of grass mite on pasture by ploughing and cultivation.
• Deworming the animal in early summer.

Click here to view the lifecycle of Moniezia expansa