Morphometric analysis of paramphistomes collected from the rumen wall of infected goats in Kolkata, West Bengal

The digenetic trematodes platyhelminth (flatworm) parasites (platyhelminth:Trematoda-Digenea) are pear-shaped, thick, fleshy worms, especially prevalent in the reticulum and rumen, while immature parasites in the small intestine mainly in the duodenum. Paramphistomes are responsible for “Paramphistomosis’ which is a gastrointestinal disaese characterized by low milk production associated with gastroenteritis with high morbidity and mortality rates in domesticated and wild ruminants, which causes prime economic losses to the Livestock industry to the tune of several thousand crores of rupees annually. The accurate identification of Paramphistomes is much needed for defining pathogenicity, treatment and disease control strategies. Not all paramphistomes species are responsible for disease in Livestock. It is therefore important to have accurate information about existing species, so that where pathogenic ones occur preventive control measures can be taken instead of waiting for outbreaks. Although various paramphistomes have been incriminated as etiological agents of paramphistomosis, here only Paramphistomum cervi and Cotylophoron cotylophorum were extensively studied in this regards.