In the present study, we evaluated the histological morphology of the adult Paramphistomum (P.) gracile. Adult flukes with bodies 5~15 mm in length and 2~7 mm in width were subjected to histological analysis. Longitudinal and transversal serial-sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined. The body surface and longitudinal section of P. gracile were also assessed using scanning electron microscopy. In this species, the anterior sucker and posterior sucker (acetabulum) were present on an anterior and posterior part of the body, respectively. The major folds were located in the areas of the anterior sucker, genital canal, and posterior sucker. The fluke membrane was spineless at the tegument surface and in the tegument tissue. Histological data showed structural-systematic characteristics of the digestive tract, reproductive tract, excretory tract, copulatory organs, connective tissues, and muscle tissues. We attempted to elucidate the histological characteristics of P. gracile that might increase the knowledge and understanding of rumen fluke morphology.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*parasitology/pathology ; Female ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/veterinary ; Rumen/parasitology ; Stomach Diseases/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary ; Thailand ; Trematoda/*anatomy & histology/isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/pathology/*veterinary

The rumen parasite, Gastrothylax crumenifer (Platyhelminthes: Gastrothylacidae), is a highly pathogenic trematode parasite of goat (Capra hircus). It sucks blood that causes acute disease like anemia, and severe economic losses occur due to morbidity and mortality of the ruminant infected by these worms. The study of these rumen paramphistomes, their infection, and public health importance remains unclear in India especially in the western part of state Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), Meerut, India, where the goat meat consumption is very high. This paper provides the molecular characterization of G. crumenifer recovered from the rumen of Capra hircus from Meerut, U.P., India by the partial sequence of 28S rDNA. Nucleotide sequence similarity searching on BLAST of 28S rDNA from parasites showed the highest identity with those of G. crumenifer from the same host Capra hircus. This is the first report of molecular identification of G. crumenifer from this part of India.
Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Goat Diseases/*parasitology ; Goats ; India ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Platyhelminths/*classification/genetics/*isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Rumen/parasitology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/*veterinary