1995 Lab Practical Midterm
Question 1
- A local dairy farmer has just acquired some livestock from Louisiana and is concerned that they may have liver flukes (the trematode Fasciola hepatica). What fecal examination method will give you the best chance of finding the eggs of this parasite? (3 pts.)
Ethyl acetate sedimentation
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- A 3-week-old puppy has watery diarrhea. Given its age and clinical signs you suspect a Giardia infection. What fecal examination method will give you the best chance of detecting this parasite? (3 pts.)
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Zinc Sulfate Flotation (2 points given for direct smear)
- A 4-year-old dog has a chronic cough and you have included the nematodes that live in the lungs on your list of possible causes. What fecal examination method(s) will give you enough information to rule out (or in) the presence of these "lungworms"? (3 pts.)
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Baermann (Filaroides) and float (Capillaria)
Question 2
- The fecal sample in the device at your place came from a 4-year-old male Rottweiler as part of his yearly check-up. Examine the sample and identify the eggs of the parasite (give Genus and species). (7 pts.)
- What other similar looking egg could appear in dog feces and how could You tell it apart from the egg you identified in part A? (3 pts.)
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These eggs may be confused with the eggs of Capillaria spp. (1 pt). They may be
distinguished because Trichuris spp. have a smooth, lemon-shaped egg with symmetrically placed plugs, while Capillaria spp. have a rough shell with parallel sides and asymmetric plugs. (2 pts.)
Question 3
- The sample of meat in the dish at your place is beef hamburger that is thought to have
been contaminated with pork. Is it likely that the hamburger has pork in it (yes, no,
can't tell)? (4 pts.)
- Explain your answer to part A. (3 pts.)
Trichinella spp. present, which is highly unlikely to be in beef. (3 pts.)
(If answered: Can't tell, no Trichinella found, or Trichinella can be in beef (-1 point)
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Question 4
- A saturated salt flotation was done on a fecal sample from a 4 month old Puppy which has been brought to you for its first check-up. The results of this test are shown under the microscope at Station #4. Identify the parasite egg (give Genus and species). (7 pts.)
- What other similar looking egg may be found the feces of a dog and how could you tell it apart from the egg you identified in part A? (3 pts.)
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A similar egg is Toxascaris leonina (1 pt.). T. canis has a
rough shell, and the center mass takes up most of the egg, which is round. T.
leonina, in contrast, has a smooth shell, is oval, and there is more space around
the central mass (2pts.).
Question 5
- A 6-year-old male mix breed dog was brought in to your practice with the complaint that it had chronic vomiting. The results of a saturated salt flotation fecal examination is shown under the microscope at Station #5. Identify the egg (give Genus and species). (6 pts.)
- What pathologic changes may have been caused by this parasite and what other procedures would you do to determine if this dog had these pathologic conditions? (3 pts.)
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One would find a mass around the esophagus, and the body of nearby vertabrae would be
increased in size (2 pts.). Radiology would be used to best detect these changes (1 pt.).
Question 6
- The egg seen under the microscope at Station #6 was recovered from the feces of a 1 month old foal which has diarrhea. Many of these eggs are present on the slide. Identify the parasite (give Genus and species). (6 pts.)
- Why would you expect to see eggs of this parasite in a young foal rather than in a mature horse? (3 pts.)
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There is transmammary transmission of this parasite (3 pts.).
(-2 if only immunity
mentioned)
Question 7
- The egg seen under the microscope at Station #7 was recovered during a urine analysis of a pig. Identify the parasite (give Genus and species). (6 pts.)
- In what organ does the adult worm reside? (3 pts.)
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Kidney (3pts.)
Question 8
- The worms seen under the microscope at Station #8 were recovered from the small
intestine of a sheep which died of bacterial pneumonia. Identify the parasite (give Genus
only). (6 pts.)
- Describe the egg you would expect to find in the feces. (3 pts.)
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One would expect to see a strongyle -type egg -- clear shelled, oval egg with embryo in
the 8 to 32 cell stage.
Question 9
- A number of adult nematodes, each about 1.5 cm long, were recovered from the large intestine of a horse which died suddenly. The anterior end of the worm is shown on the kodachromes at Station #9. Identify the parasite (give Genus and species). (6 pts.)
- Where in the horse would the fourth-stage larvae (L4) of this worm be found? (3 pts.)
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Question 10
- The dish under the microscope at Station #10 contains a skin biopsy in saline. The biopsy was taken from the ventral midline of a horse with itching dermatitis in this area. Identify the parasite (give Genus only). (6 pts.)
- How is this parasite transmitted? (3 pts.)
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By biting flies (3pts.), such as the black fly seen above (Simulium spp.)