Volume 9, Issue 2 (6-2021)                   JoMMID 2021, 9(2): 103-107 | Back to browse issues page

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Bimi L, Kailyn Odamtten F, Anto F, Kwamena Tetteh A. Ophidascaris sp. in an African Rock Python (Python sebae) in Ghana: A Case Report. JoMMID 2021; 9 (2) :103-107
URL: http://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/article-1-364-en.html
Ophidascaris sp. in an African Rock Python (Python sebae) in Ghana: A Case Report
Langbong Bimi * , Freda Kailyn Odamtten , Francis Anto , Ato Kwamena Tetteh
Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Abstract:   (2197 Views)
This study reports an Ophidascaris sp. infection in the gastrointestinal tract of a python snake found at a construction site in Labone, a suburb of Accra and the capital city of Ghana. Examination of the rectal contents of the snake by the zinc sulfate centrifugal floatation method revealed helminths eggs. Besides, examining various sections of the alimentary canal revealed adult worms of the genus Ophidascaris in the anterior half of the small intestine just below the stomach's pyloric sphincter. Also, milking one of the female worms onto a microscope slide and examining the exudate by microscopy following staining with Lugol's iodine dye revealed eggs. Our findings may alert the possibility of zoonotic transmission of the parasite from pythons to humans, especially in the suburban/rural areas where people consume snake meat.
Keywords: Python, Ophidascaris, Ghana
Full-Text [PDF 851 kb]   (900 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Case Report | Subject: Infectious diseases and public health
Received: 2021/05/25 | Accepted: 2021/06/20 | Published: 2021/08/29
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.