OS 213: Human Disease and Treatment 3(Circulation

and Respiration)
LAB 03: PARAGONIMUS WESTERMANI
Exam 2 | Parasitology Faculty | August 17, 2012
OUTLINE
I. Ovum
II. Vectors
A. Primary: Antemelania
B. Secondary: Sundathelpusa
III.Metacercaria
IV. Adult
V. Adult Reproductive Organs
A. Female Reproductive Organ
B. Male Reproductive Organ
VI.
Other Structures
VII.
Life Cycle
VIII.
Actual Lab Specimen

o
o
o

Cercaria penetrates soft parts

Encysts metacercaria in the gills, body muscles,
viscera, legs
Crab may be infected by eating infected snails

OVUM
Oval,
yellowish-brown,
thick-shelled
80-118
micrometers by 48-60 micrometers
Flat but prominent operculum (larger end)
Abopercular portion is thickened (smaller end)
Unembryonated at oviposition
Cystein proteinase of the cathepsin family in immature
eggs
Immature egg embryonates in water, moist soil or feces
Miracidium develops within 2-7 weeks
Figure 3. Sundathelphusa
METACERCARIA
Definitive host (man) acquires infection by
eating raw or insufficiently cooked crabs harboring
metacercaria

Metacercaria is round and measures from 381457 micrometers

After ingestion, metacercaria excysts in

duodenum of host
o Cysteine proteinases secreted by metacercarias
excretory bladder help in excystment and host
immune modulation

Adolescent
worm
then
traverses
through the intestinal wall, into the peritoneal
cavity, where it wanders about and embeds itself in
the abdominal wall for several days

Afterwards, returns to coelom, migrates

through diaphragm to pleural cavity where it
develops into adulthood

Completion of development in the

definitive host: 65-90 days

Can persists in man up to 20 years or

more

Can also infect dogs, cats, rats

Figure 1.Ovum
VECTORS
Primary: Antemelania
First
intermediate
host:
the
snails
Antemelania asperata; Antemelania dactylus

Miracidium enters snail one sporocyst stage

2 redial stage cercaria emerges exit snail to infect
20 host

Cercaria
o Covered with spines and has an ellipsoidal body
with small tail
o Stylet present at dorsal side of the oral sucker

Figure 4. Metacecaria
Figure 2. Antemelania

Secondary: Sundathelphusa
Second intermediate host: mountain crab
Sundathelpusa philippina

JM, Josh, Jer, Sham

UPCM 2016 B: XVI, Walang

Kapantay!

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OS 213: Human Disease and Treatment 3(Circulation

and Respiration)
LAB 03: PARAGONIMUS WESTERMANI
Exam 2 | Parasitology Faculty | August 17, 2012
ADULT REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS
Female Genitalia

Figure 5. Actual Metacercaria Specimen

ADULT
An adult may be as large as a coffee bean,
hence it may be appreciated grossly
Adults usually measure 7-12mm long, 4-6mm
wide, and are 3.5-5mm thick
Rounded anteriorly, slightly tapered posteriorly
Tegument covered with single-spaced spines
Two testes are lobed, midway between
ventral sucker
Ovary located anterior to testes but posterior
to ventral sucker
Vitellaria are branched extensively
Found in pairs, threes in fibrotic capsules or
cysts in the lungs of hosts
Capsules have openings that allows eggs to
escape; transported by ciliary epithelium along with
lung exudates
In the pharynx, the eggs are either swallowed or
coughed out
They are hermaphroditic

Figure 6.Adult

Figure 8. Female Genitalia

(Key: red/left arrow= Uterus distended with eggs; black
circle=ventral sucker which is faintly stained; blue/right
arrow=ovary)

Figure 9.Uterus in focus

Male Genitalia

Figure 7. Paragonimus sp. Adult Lung Fluke.

(Key: AC=acetabulum (ventral sucker); OV=ovary;
CE=cecum; TE=testes; OS=oral sucker; UT=uterus;
EB=excretory bladder)

JM, Josh, Jer, Sham

Figure 10.Testes
(Key: Paired lobulated pink structures)

UPCM 2016 B: XVI, Walang

Kapantay!

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OS 213: Human Disease and Treatment 3(Circulation

and Respiration)
LAB 03: PARAGONIMUS WESTERMANI
Exam 2 | Parasitology Faculty | August 17, 2012
Figure 13. Head Part with oral sucker

OTHER STRUCTURES

Figure 14. Uterus

Figure 11. Other Paragonimus Structures

(Key: orange/upper left horizontal arrow=cecum;
blue/upper left vertical arrow=uterus; violet/upper
right arrow=ovary; yellow/lower right arrow=testes;
surrounding green=vitellaria)

Figure 15. Paired Testis

LIFE CYCLE

Figure 16. Caudal part with caecum

END OF TRANSCRIPTION
Greetings:
JM: If you can dream it, you can do it! Walt Disney.
Santolians, we can do this! Hi to Gerdys, Mentoring
Grp, Sausage
Fest, Blocks A and B. God bless us
all!
Josh:
Sham:
Jer: Hi Shammmmmm!!! XD

Figure 12. Paragonimus Life Cycle

ACTUAL LAB SPECIMEN OF ADULT P. WESTERMANI

JM, Josh, Jer, Sham

UPCM 2016 B: XVI, Walang

Kapantay!

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