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Studies on the Morphology and Life-History of Strongyloides mirzai n.sp. from Snakes in India
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 November 2009
Extract
In 1985, the writer in collaboration with Prof. M. B. Mirza described Strongyloides from John's Sand-boa (Eryx johnii) in Aligarh and assigned it to S. stercoralis, creating for its reception a new variety, S. stercoralis var. eryxi.
During July and August, 1950, while examining certain snakes at Hyderabad for helminth parasites, the writer found that Strongyloides infection was very common in the Rat-snake. Ptyas (Zamenis) mucosus, for almost all the snakes examined were found infected. In light infections not more than a few, ten to fifteen worms, were obtained from a single host, but as many as 100 to 125 specimens were collected from heavily parasitized snakes. It was also observed that though they may be found throughout the length of the oesophagus and the intestine, the seat of heaviest infection is the duodenum of the host.
It seemed rather strange that one and the same species should parasitize a reptile as well as a mammal so a detailed study of the worm, both in its parasitic and free-living generations, was undertaken with a view to determining definitely whether, as previously believed, it is identical with the human worm Strongyloides stercoralis. As a result of this study the writer has come to the conclusion that the species infesting certain snakes in India is not identical with the human worm, S. stercoralis or any other species of the genus hitherto described.
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