Infestation with Dicrocoelium dendriticum--the small liver fluke--in animals and human individuals in Sweden

A dancing worm is seen in the abdominal drainage tube

A dancing worm was found in the abdominal drainage tube of a patient with cholangiocarcinoma, who had just been given percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage administration 3 days earlier. After the oral administration of praziquantel, another motile adult and two dead damaged adults were expelled. What are they?

Somatic antigens of adult Dicrocoelium dendriticum recognised by bile antibodies of naturally infected cattle

Bile samples, from slaughtered cattle harbouring between 120 and 280 adult lancet flukes, were used to investigate the range of somatic proteins inducing local antibody responses in naturally infected animals. Lancet fluke infections induced local (bile) antibody responses against Tris-buffered saline (TBS) soluble, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) soluble and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-Me) soluble somatic proteins of adult Dicrocoelium dendriticum. IgA antibody isotypes predominated in the response against buffer-soluble somatic antigens, whereas SDS-soluble and 2-Me-soluble proteins induced similar level of both IgA and IgG1 antibodies. Analysis of the antigens recognised by particular isotype-specific bile antibodies suggests that different antigens preferentially induce isotype restricted antibody responses. The bile antibody response was highly species specific, only one antigen from somatic protein extracts of Fasciola hepatica being precipitated by bile samples showing the highest reactivity against D. dendriticum.

Coprological study of the Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea) egg elimination by cattle in highland areas in León Province, northwest Spain

Dicrocoelium dendriticum egg output in cattle from five locations of the Porma river basin (León Province, Northwest Spain) was studied at monthly intervals between March 1986 and March 1987. We found D. dendriticum eggs in 37.64% of the 1251 samples examined, and the number of eggs per gram (epg) ranged from 10 to 1000 (average, 41.65 +/- 2.73). The main egg-elimination period, for prevalence, was autumn-winter. The average epg values were quite similar during all months except March, when the maximum was detected. The infection prevalence increased in cattle aged up to 2 years and then a slight, gradual decrease was observed with increasing host age. The average epg values ranged from 40.08 +/- 3.24 to 48.33 +/- 12.42 in all age groups except the oldest animals, for which the figures were lower. The rate of egg elimination was higher in animals that came from locations situated at a greater altitude.