� Hook Worm Diseases

Dr. Pallav Shekhar

Asstt. Professor

Veterinary Medicine

UNIT-6

Bunostomiasis or Hook Worm Disease

• This disease is characterized by emaciation, progressive anemia, constipation followed by diarrhea and death in young animals.

Etiology

• Cattle- Bunostomum phlebotomum

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• Sheep and goat- B. trigonocephalum

Epidemiology

• The disease is world wide in occurrence and is more common in tropical countries.

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• Calves in the age group of 4-12 months are commonly affected.

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• The disease is transmitted mainly through skin penetration

Life cycle-Direct

Pathogenesis

• Active blood sucking are the major cause of anaemia in all species.
• Total worm as low as 100 may cause clinical illness and 2000 may cause death in young cattle.
• Hypoprotenemic oedema, bottle jaw and some irritation of intestinal mucosa leads to mild diarrhoea
• Penetration of skin leads to irritation and itching.

Clinical findings

• Stamping and licking of feet.
• Constipation accompanied by abdominal pain followed by bouts of diarrhoea.
• Pale mucous membrane
• Presence of occult blood in feces
• Oedema of lower abdominal part

Diagnosis

• Identification of eggs in feces and coproculture are most detectable method of diagnosis.
• Other methods like clinical symptoms like anaemia, diarrhoea and anasarca.
• Necropsy is the only certain method of diagnosis i.e hook worms attached to the mucosa of small intestine and intestinal content are deeply blood stained.

Treatment

• BENZIMIDAZOLE EFFECTIVE AGAINST ADULT
• AVERMECTIN BUNOSTOMUM Sp. Sheep & cattle
• LEVAMIZOLE but are not effective against larval
• MORANTEL larval stage

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• NOTROXYNIL AND RAFOXANIDE ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST IMMATURE WORM

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• SUPPORTIVE TREATMENT LIKE HEMATINICS AND MINERAL MIXTURE CONTAINING FE, CU, CO ARE ESSENTIAL AS ANAEMIA IS THE MAIN CAUSE OF DEATH.

Hook worm disease of dog and cat

Transmission

Pathogenesis

Pathogenesis

Cont…..

• Migratory larvae doesn’t cause much damage.

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• Adult parasites are harmful as they are active suckers and cause severe anaemia and also haemorrhage in intestine.

Clinical Findings

• Severe anaemia and sudden death in acute condition.

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• In moderate condition , pale mm, anaemia, emaciation, stunted growth, mild diarrhoea, melena and itching of skin.

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• Red bite mark in the lower abdominal region.

Diagnosis

Treatment