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Physaloptera Homepage

            Common name: Stomach worm

              Kingdom: Animalia

                Phylum: Nemathelminthes

                  Class: Nematoda

                    Order: Spirurida

                      Family: Physalopteridae

                        Genus: Physaloptera

                          Species: rara

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Adult Parasite:

The adult worms measure 40 to 48 mm long.

Anterior end of worm

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Hosts:

  • Dogs and cats - other species occur in wildlife (definitive).
  • Coprophagous beetles (intermediate) - larval stages.

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Life Cycle:

    The egg, containing the infective first stage-larva, is passed in the feces and eaten by a beetle larva. The larva develops to the infective third stage larva. The dog eats the beetle and the worm develops to the adult stage in the stomach. Eggs are laid in the stomach and pass out with the feces.

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Site in host where adult parasite is found:

  • Attached to the mucosa of the stomach.

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Diagnostic Stage:

  • Thick walled egg with a larva inside it.
  • The egg measures 55 um X 32 um.

Common Diagnostic Test
  • These eggs do not usually float on a standard fecal flotation (they have a specific gravity > 1.2)
  • Fecal sedimentation
  • Direct fecal smear

Clinical Signs:
  • Usually asymptomatic
  • Sometimes causing chronic vomiting.

Treatment:

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© University of Pennsylvania  2004

Comments or Questions please contact:  Dr. Nolan at: