Species, life cycle, Identification, pathogenesis, treatment & control of Cooperia

Cooperia

·         In temperate areas, members of the genus Cooperia usually play a secondary role in the pathogenesis of parasitic gastroenteritis of ruminants.

·         Some species are responsible for severe enteritis in calves.

·         They are most numerous in the intestine.

Species	Host	Location/site
Cooperia oncophora t	Cattle	Small intestine
Cooperia punctata w
Cooperia pectinata w
Cooperia surnabada	Cattle and sheep
Cooperia curticei t	Sheep and goat

                  ^t More commonly found in temperate areas

                        ^w More commonly found in warmer areas

Distribution: World wide

Identification:

Gross:

·         In size Cooperia are similar to Ostertagia (upto 1.0cm)

·         All species possess very large bursa

·         In C. curticei, ‘Watch spring like posture’ is most characteristic.

Microscopic:

·         Small cephalic vesicle (also in Hyostrongylus spp., Nematodirus spp.) and possesses very large bursa

·         Transverse cuticular striation in the oesophageal region.

·         The spicules usually is large, expended in the middle region and often bear ridges. (Branched spicule: Ostertagia spp (3 distal brach)  and Hyostrongylus: (2 distral brach); long narrow spicule: Mecistrocirrus spp; Thick spicule: Trichostrongylus spp)

·         No gubernaculum

·         The females have a small vulvar flap (larger valvar flap in Ostertagia spp, Haemonchus spp.) and a long tapering tail.

 

Life Cycle:

·   Bionomic requirement of C. oncophora and C. curticei similar to Ostertagia.

·   Developed on the surface of the species

·   Some of the species penetrate the epithelium.

·   Bionomic requirement C. punctata and C. pectinata similar to Haemonchous.

PPP: varies form 15-18days.

Pathogenesis:

·   C. oncophora and C. curticei   are the mild pathogen for calves and lambs respectively. Associated with inappetence and poor weight gains.

·   Strong immunity developed after one year form concurrent infection.

·   C. punctata, C. pectinata and C. surnabada are more pathogenic as they penetrate the epithelial surface of intestine and cause a distruption smilar to that of intestinal trichostrongylosis which lead to villous atrophy and reduction of absorbable surface.

·   In heavy infections, diarrhea has been reported.

Clinical Signs:

·   Loss of appetite

·   Poor weight gains

·  

C. punctata and C. pectinata

Diarrhoea

·   Severe weight loss

·   And submandibular oedema

Diagnosis, Treatment and Control:

·         Similar to ostertagiosis

Note: A closely related parasite Paracooperia nodulosa is responsible for severe nodular enteritis in Buffalo in Asia, Africa and South America.