Parasite of the Month- Answer November 2020

These ova belong to the genus Diphyllobothridea or the tapeworm. Tapeworms have a specialized scolex with suckers used to attach to the intestines of their host and are transferred to pinnipeds who eat infected fish. Using the fecal ova to identify parasites is important to seal rehabilitation at NMLC.

Posted by Meaghan K.

Meaghan is a fall intern who is majoring in Marine and Freshwater Biology at Colgate University.

Sources

Kuzmina, T. A., Hernández-Orts, J. S., Lyons, E. T., Spraker, T. R., Kornyushyn, V. V., & Kuchta, R. (2015). The cestode community in northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on St. Paul Island, Alaska. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 4(2), 256-263.

Sampaio, J. L. M., De Andrade, V. P., da Conceição Lucas, M., Fung, L., Gagliardi, S. M. B., Santos, S. R. P., … & Dick, T. (2005). Diphyllobothriasis, Brazil. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 11(10), 1598.