Trichostrongylus axei

Also known as:

Trichostrongylus extenuatus

Scientific Classification

Class	Nematoda
Superfamily	Trichostrongyloidea

Hosts

Cattle, sheep, deer, horse, goat, donkey, pig and occasionally man.

Identification

T. axei are small trichostrongyle, typically around 5mm. They are grey when young, but become reddish brown when they mature. The spiculus are dissimilar and are not all of the same length.

Life Cycle

The life cycle of T. axei is typical of a trichostrongyloid, and is direct. The eggs develop into infective L3 in around one week. The larvae are then ingested by the host, and the larvae become unsheathed. They penetrate the mucosa of the small intestine. There are two further moults, and then the larvae become adults.