Trichostrongyloidea - Overview
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General Appearance
- Bursate
- Most members of this superfamily look like short lengths of cotton (typically 0.5-2cm)
- The spicules of each species have a characteristic shape
- The heads have no distinct features
General Life-Cycle
- The egg is approximately 80µm long, oval, thin-shelled, contains 4-16cells (i.e. it is a typical strongyle egg)
- Egg → L1 → L2 → L3 (this occurs on the ground)
- L1 and L2 feed on bacteria
- L3 is the infective stage
- L3 is ensheathed (i.e. the L2 cuticle is retained after moulting as an "outer skin")
- L3 cannot feed, but contains a finite amount of stored food to provide energy for movement
- Infection is by ingestion of the L3
- L3 → L4 → adult (this occurs in the stomach or small intestine)
- Parasitic development initially occurs in gastric glands or intestinal crypts (depending on species)
- Adults are situated on the mucosal surface
- The prepatent period is typically about 3 weeks