Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine
Distribution of trematodes of the species Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) parasitizing cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) was studied in the Poltava and Kirovohrad regio...
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| author | Kruchynenko, O. V. Mykhailiutenko, S. M. Klymenko, O. S. Kanivets, N. S. Korchan, L. M. |
| author_facet | Kruchynenko, O. V. Mykhailiutenko, S. M. Klymenko, O. S. Kanivets, N. S. Korchan, L. M. |
| author_institution_txt_mv | [
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"author": "O. V. Kruchynenko",
"institution": "Poltava State Agrarian Academy, Skovorody st., 1\/3, Poltava, 36003 Ukraine",
"orcid": "0000-0003-3508-0437"
},
{
"author": "S. M. Mykhailiutenko",
"institution": "Poltava State Agrarian Academy, Skovorody st., 1\/3, Poltava, 36003 Ukraine",
"orcid": ""
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{
"author": "O. S. Klymenko",
"institution": "“TANDEM-2002” LLC",
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},
{
"author": "N. S. Kanivets",
"institution": "Poltava State Agrarian Academy, G. Skovoroda st., 1\/3, Poltava, 36003 Ukraine",
"orcid": "0000-0002-8660-1012"
},
{
"author": "L. M. Korchan",
"institution": "Poltava State Agrarian Academy, G. Skovoroda st., 1\/3, Poltava, 36003 Ukraine",
"orcid": "0000-0002-6064-5922"
}
] |
| author_orcid_str_mv | 0000-0003-3508-0437 0000-0002-8660-1012 0000-0002-6064-5922 |
| author_sort | Kruchynenko, O. V. |
| baseUrl_str | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/oai |
| collection | OJS |
| container_end_page | |
| container_issue | 5 |
| container_start_page | |
| container_title | Zoodiversity (Vestnik Zoologii) |
| container_volume | 54 |
| datestamp_date | 2026-08-20T12:37:31Z |
| description | Distribution of trematodes of the species Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) parasitizing cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) was studied in the Poltava and Kirovohrad regions of Ukraine. The recorded prevalence of infection is 26.9 % in cattle, 28.42 % in sheep and 24.5 % in goat. D. dendriticum is the only species of the genus Dicrocoelium which infects domestic animals in the central regions of Ukraine. The trematodes obtained from cattle are significantly different from those isolated from sheep and goat by length, width and area of body, and length of vitelline ducts. |
| doi_str_mv | 10.15407/zoo2020.05.403 |
| first_indexed | 2025-07-17T12:35:44Z |
| format | Article |
| fulltext |
UDC 636.09 (477) : 616.99
MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DICROCOELIUM
DENDRITICUM (DIGENEA, DICROCOELIIDAE), PARASITIZING
THREE HOST SPECIES IN THE CENTRAL REGIONS OF UKRAINE
O. V. Kruchynenko1, S. M. Mykhailiutenko1, O. S. Klymenko2, N. S. Kanivets1,
L. M. Korchan1
1Poltava State Agrarian Academy,
Skovorody st., 1/3, Poltava, 36003 Ukraine,
2“TANDEM-2002” LLC
E-mail: oleg.kruchynenko@pdaa.edu.ua
O. V. Kruchynenko (http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3508-0437)
S. M. Mykhailiutenko (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6634-1244)
O. S. Klymenko (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6257-5641)
N. S. Kanivets (http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9520-2999)
L. M. Korchan (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6064-5922)
Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing
Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine. Kruchynenko, O. V., Mykhailiutenko, S. M.,
Klymenko, O. S., Kanivets, N. S., Korchan, L. M. — Distribution of trematodes of the species Dicrocoelium
dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae) parasitizing cattle (Bos taurus
Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) was
studied in the Poltava and Kirovohrad regions of Ukraine. The prevalence of infection is 26.9 % in cattle,
28.42 % in sheep and 24.5 % in goat. D. dendriticum is the only species of the genus Dicrocoelium which
infects domestic animals in the central regions of Ukraine. The trematodes obtained from cattle are sig-
nificantly different from those isolated from sheep and goat by length, width and area of body, and length
of vitelline ducts.
K e y w o r d s : dicrocoelium, cattle, sheep, goats, morphological characters, prevalence.
Zoodiversity, 54(5): 403–410, 2020
DOI 10.15407/zoo2020.05.403
Parasitology
404 O. V. Kruchynenko, S. M. Mykhailiutenko, O. S. Klymenko, N. S. Kanivets, L. M. Korchan
Introduction
Dicrocoeliasis is a dangerous and widely distributed disease caused by trematodes of three species, Di-
crocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819), Dicrocoelium hospes (Looss, 1907) and Dicrocoelium chinensis
(Sudarikov and Ryjikov, 1951), known in the genus Dicrocoelium (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae) (Otranto et al.,
2007; Maurelli et al., 2007). The trematodoses are associated with significant economic losses of animal farms,
because the mature helminthes live in the liver ducts of ruminants. According to a number of reports, the most
widely distributed Dicrocoelium species is D dendriticum. Its main hosts are ruminants. However, there are
records of sporadic D. dendriticum infections in humans (Cengiz et al., 2010; Jeandron et al., 2011). There are
reports of dicrocoeliasis of wild rabbits (Casanova et al., 1995), European hares and black jackrabbits (Liatis et
al., 2017; Sergi et al., 2018), moose (Beck et al., 2014), roe deer (Liatis et al., 2017), wild boar and brown bears
(Maslennikova, 2015), and in horses (Hazlett et al., 2018). In Slovakia, dicrocoeliasis has been recorded in mou-
flon and red deer (Iglódyová et al., 2017).
Scientists report the spread of dicrocoeliasis in cattle in Algiers (Chougar et al., 2019) and Nigeria (Elelu
and Eisler, 2017). In Iran, these trematode infections have been found in cattle, sheep and goat (Arbabi et al.,
2011; Khanjari et al., 2014; Mohamadzadeh et al., 2016; Majidi-Rad et al., 2018). The prevalence of dicrocoelia-
sis at sheep farms of Sardinia is 25.5 % in average (Scala et al., 2019). The pathogen has been found at the terri-
tory of the Russian Federation, with rates of infection ranging from 0.02 % to 20.6 % in cattle, and from 51.6 %
to 84.1 % in Caspian red deer (Shmakova, 2019).
In Ukraine, only trematodes of the species D. dendriticum have been found by now. Monitoring surveys
have regularly been conducted in cattle and small ruminants. Dicrocoeliasis is relatively common in cattle in
Southern Ukraine (Soroka et al., 2015) and in sheep and goat in the zone of wood-and-steppe (Boyko, 2015;
Korchan, 2015).
The determination of these parasites requires taking their morphological specifics in consideration. For
example, D. chinensis was confirmed with a morphometric study in wild deer (Cervus nippon centralis) of Ja-
pan. The mean length of body of trematodes was 9.0 mm, and the mean maximum width of body was 3.0 mm.
The mean outer diameter of oral sucker 439.0 μm, and that of ventral sucker was 559.6 μm (Taira et al., 2006).
Dicrocoelium spp. are helminthes of lancet shape, with weakly developed suckers of similar size in the an-
terior part of body. The mouth opens in the centre of oral sucker into the pharynx, which enters into a short thin
esophagus with two straight branches of intestinal caeca, located alongside the body and lacking other open-
ings. The trematodes are hermaphroditic. The uterus fills the trematode’s hindbody and consists of descending
and ascending branches (Shelyakin and Stepanov, 2013).
Hence, study the distribution and morphological characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum in cattle,
sheep and goat of Poltava and Kirovohrad regions of Ukraine is aimed to add new data on the variability of
metric parameters of trematodes in various ruminant species.
Material and methods
The studies were conducted in 2018–2019 at the Laboratory of Parasitology and Veterinary-Sanitary
Expertise of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Poltava State Agrarian Academy. The prevalence of
Dicrocoelium dendriticum were studied at livestock farming, sheep and goats farms of Poltava and Kirovograd
Regions of Ukraine. The main indicators were the extensiveness and the intensity of infection (Ripolovskyi and
Yuskiv, 2010). Trematodes were collected during helminthological investigation of the liver of dead or killed
cattle, sheep and goats (Skrjabin, 1928). Flukes were identified according to Ivashkin & Mukhamadiev (1981)
and Ivashkin et al. (1989).
The trematodes were obtained from livers during the killing of ruminants, and fixed in 70 % ethanol. Then
they were mounted on slides in lactophenol and covered with cover slips. The specimens were examined and
identified using the light microscope Zeiss Axio Imager M1 at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology (Kyiv,
Ukraine) in interactive mode using ×4 objective. In total, 1103 trematodes were collected (379 specimens from
cattle, 456 from sheep and 268 from goat). The morphometric parameters of Dicrocoelium dendriticum were
studied on 30 specimens from each host species.
Statistical processing of obtained data was performed using software package STATISTICA 10 (StatSoft
Inc., USA, 2011). For parameters of trematodes, mean and standard deviation (M± SD) were calculated. The
Shapiro–Wilk test was used to test the distribution of parameters for normality. The morphometric param-
eters of Dicrocoelium dendriticum trematodes from various ruminant species were compared with one-way
ANOVA, equality of variance in groups was compared with Leven’s criterion (if equality was not found,
Brown-Forsythe criterion was used). If the Gauss distribution of data were not confirmed, Kruskal-Walles
criterion was used. Statistical significant of results was observed at P < 0.05. Risk factors were evaluated using
the Pearson Chi-square test. A significant association between animal positivity to dicrocoeliasis and the sex,
age, and season was determined if P < 0.05. All sampled cattle, sheep and goats were categorized into three
age groups: < 2 years, 2–4 years, and > 4 years and finally the appearance of liver during the inspection. Con-
fidence intervals of 95 % of the dicrocoeliasis in animals were calculated with Open Source Epidemiologic
Statistics for Public Health, Version 3.01, updated 2013/04/06 (www.OpenEpi.com). Wilson’s method was
405Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum Parasitizing Three Host Species…
used to determine the best estimate for frequencies and ratios, including for a small number of observations
(Wilson, 1927) by the following formula:
from
to
,
where Z1 — α / 2 equals 1.96 for confidence interval of 95 %, N — number of observations, and р — frequency
of periodicity of the parameter in sample.
Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (rs) was used to estimate the dependence between variables: length
of body (BL) / area of body (BA).
Results and discussion
The dicrocoeliasis infection was found in 20.2 to 40.51 % ruminants in Poltava and
Kirovohrad Regions of Ukraine (table 1). The rate of infection was 18–104 helminthes per
host in cows, 26–789 per one sheep and 23–495 per one goat.
Т a b l e 1 . Prevalence of D. dendriticum in cattle, sheep and goat slaughtered in various regions in
Ukraine
Regions
Cattle Sheep Goats
No.
examined
No. of
infected
Infected
liver, %
No.
examined
No. of
infected
Infected
liver, %
No.
examined
No. of
infected
Infected
liver, %
Poltava 161 48 26.7 175 36 20.6 173 47 27.2
Kirovohrad 102 23 22.54 116 47 40.51 104 21 20.2
Total 263 71 26.9 292 83 28.42 277 68 24.5
Т a b l e 2 . Summary of positive cases according to risk factors (seasons, sex, and age)
Risk factors
Cattle Sheep Goat
infection infection infection
+ (%) − (%) + (%) − (%) + (%) − (%)
Seasons
Autumn 17 (6.5) 28 (10.6) 23 (7.9) 36 (12.32) 19 (6.8) 47 (16.9)
Winter 34 (12.9) 59 (22.4) 39 (13.4) 53 (18.15) 32 (11.5) 63 (22.7)
Spring 12 (4.6) 52 (19.8) 14 (4.7) 61 (20.9) 11 (3.9) 57 (20.6)
Summer 8 (3.04) 53 (20.15) 7 (2.4) 59 (20.2) 6 (2.2) 42 (15.2)
Sex
Male 28 (10.6) 111 (35.4) 42 (14.4) 115 (38.01) 51 (18.41) 129 (46.6)
Female 41 (15.6) 93 (42.2) 31 (10.6) 94 (33.6) 17 (6.14) 80 (28.9)
Age (years)
Aged ( > 4) 42 (15.9) 61 (23.2) 51 (17.5) 63 (21.6) 39 (14.1) 58 (20.9)
Intermediate (2-4) 20 (7.6) 49 (18.63) 25 (8.6) 45 (15.41) 17 (6.1) 40 (14.4)
Young (< 2) 9 (3.42) 95 (36.1) 7 (2.4) 101 (34.6) 10 (3.6) 113 (40.8)
406 O. V. Kruchynenko, S. M. Mykhailiutenko, O. S. Klymenko, N. S. Kanivets, L. M. Korchan
The factors (season, sex and age) are the same in the two study regions (Poltava and
Kirovograd); therefore, the entire cattle, sheep and goat herd in the two regions was selected
for the statistical study. Th e highest rates of infection were seen in all host species in au-
tumn and winter. Signifi cant relation was observed in cattle, sheep and goat between the
rate of D. dendriticum infection and the season (P < 0.01) (table 2). We also saw the diff er-
ence in rates of infection in female and male hosts. For cattle, the prevalence of infection
was higher in females than in males (P < 0.05). Th ere was no statistically signifi cant dif-
ference between rates of infection in female and male sheep. In contrast, rates of infection
were higher in male goats than in female goats (P < 0.05). We also found higher rates of
infection in aged ruminants (older than four years) (P < 0.001).
According to our biometric studies, only D. dendriticum was found in cattle, sheep and
goat hosts in Ukraine (fi g. 1).
Metric examination of specimens revealed the highest mean length of body in trema-
todes obtained from catle was 6.2 ± 1.23 mm, with maximum length of 8.8 mm. Mean
lengths of body in trematodes obtained from sheep and goat were almost the same, 5.7 ±
1.01 and 5.6 ± 0.94 mm, respectively. Frequency distribution of length of body in each host
species is given on fi gure 2. Th e smallest trematodes were 4.2–4.3 mm in length.
Th e mean width of body w as 2.0 ± 0.4 mm at most in studied specimens obtained from
cattle. Maximum mean width of body was 1.9 ± 0.44 mm in trematodes obtained from
sheep, 1.3 ± 0.25 mm for goat parasites.
We found the maximum body area in D. dendriticum trematodes obtained from cattle
(8.45 ± 2.1 mm2), smaller areas in trematodes from sheep (7.9 ± 1.5 mm2) and goat (7.23 ±
1.6 mm2).
Length of oral sucker was, in average, smaller than that of ventral sucker by 0.11 % in
specimens from cattle, by 0.17 % in those obtained from sheep, and by 0.21 % in trematodes
collected from goat (table 3).
Th e two testes are located directly posterior to acetabulum, slantwise to each other.
Th ey are round to weakly or strongly lobed in shape.
Th e ovary is located posterior to testes. Th e eggs are yellow to dark brown in color,
without any signifi cant mean fl uctuations of metric parameters relative to host species.
Vitelline ducts are formed by numerous small and merged large follicles, and located in
the middle of liver fl uke body. We measured the parameters of left and right vitelline ducts,
which were the largest in D. dendriticum trematodes collected from cattle.
Twelve of 22 morphological parameters measured in trematodes of cattle, sheep and
goat, were statistically diff erent. According to results of ANOVA (table 3), there were dif-
ferences ni length of body (P = 0.047), width of body (P = 0.001), area of body F2.12 = 3.4
(P = 0.038), oral sucker width (P = 0.024), pharynx length (P = 0.003), pharynx width
(P = 0.028), anterior testis length (P = 0.001), posterior testis width (P = 0.01), posterior
testis width (P = 0.02). It is also observed that the length of left and right testes were statisti-
Fig. 1. Anterior and tail ends of D. dendriticum (a and b); x4.
407Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum Parasitizing Three Host Species…
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
3,5 4,0 4,5 5,0 5,5 6,0 6,5 7,0 7,5 8,0 8,5 9,0 9,5
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Fr
eq
ue
nc
y
Fig. 2. Frequency distribution of body length of Dicrocoelium specimens from naturally infected cattle, sheep
and goat (n = 30).
Т a b l e 3 . Morphometry of adult D. dendriticum, collected from naturally infected cattle, sheep and goat,
x ± SD (min–max), n = 30
Characters Cattle Sheep Goats P Value
Body length, mm 6.2 ± 1.23 (4.9–8.8) 5.7 ± 1.01 (4.3–8.0) 5.6 ± 0.94 4.2–7.5) 0.047
Body width, mm 2.0 ± 0.4 (1.2–2.7) 1.9 ± 0.44 (1.2–2.5) 1.3 ± 0.25 (1.0–2.0) 0.001
Body area, mm2 8.45 ± 2.1 (5.0–12.6) 7.9 ± 1.5 (5.9–11.9) 7.23 ± 1.6 (4.2–10.4) 0.038
Oral sucker length, μm 348.5 ± 77.1 (265.0–495.0) 330.8 ± 69.6 (214.0–480.0) 320.0 ± 61.8 (201.0–405.0) 0.55
Oral sucker width, μm 372.8 ± 77.4 (235.0–499.0) 330.2 ± 56.4 (207.0–480.0) 319.6 ± 60.3 (148.0–400.0) 0.024
Pharynx length, μm 151.8 ± 3.23 (145.0–157.0) 151.4 ± 3.2 (145.0–159.0) 149.03 ± 2.9 (145.0–155.0) 0.003
Pharynx width, μm 124.3 ± 18.8 (98.0–159.0) 130.2 ± 19.7 (100.0–154.0) 137.2 ± 2.9 (110.0–155.0) 0.028
Oesophagus length, μm 458.3 ± 45.3 (400.0–544.0) 480.3 ± 44.7 (410.0–540.0) 467.3 ± 42.9 (400.0–530.0) 0.21
Ventral sucker length, μm 389.6 ± 54.6 (312.0–499.0) 396.2 ± 42.9 (312.0–490.0) 404.7 ± 45.3 (329.0–498.0) 0.65
Ventral sucker width, μm 372.3 ± 53.5 (265.0–446.0) 390.1 ± 44.6 (268.0–440.0) 380.5 ± 41.8 (255.0–445.0) 0.39
Ovarium length, μm 149.2 ± 17.6 (115.0–193.0) 151.0 ± 20.9 (120.0–193.0) 153.5 ± 10.5 (130.0–170.0) 0.074
Ovarium width, μm 247.9 ± 14.3 (214.0 – 274.0) 250.4 ± 26.8 (212.0 – 310.0) 255.1 ± 26.8 (219.0 – 290.0) 0.35
Anterior testis length, μm 311.5 ± 155.6 (139.0 – 811.0) 479.1 ± 210.04 (221.0 –903.0) 405.5 ± 135.1 (220.0 – 698.0) 0.001
Anterior testis width, μm 480.3 ± 92.9 (282.0–615.0) 465.4 ± 144.8 (275.0–858.0) 467.9 ± 72.6 (292.0–640.0) 0.36
Posterior testis length, μm 408.5 ± 226.5 (250.0–780.0) 504.6 ± 226.5 (269.0–905.0) 353.8 ± 115.8 (214.0–700.0) 0.01
Posterior testis width, μm 500.03 ± 118.7 (282.0–710.0) 551.6 ± 64.2 (470.0–685.0) 484.5 ± 86.4 (323.0–695.0) 0.02
Left vitelline length, μm 1408.7 ± 273.9 (990.0–1964.0) 1202.7 ± 179.04 (906.0–1620.0) 1315.8 ± 248.2 (970.0–1880) 0.003
Left vitelline width, μm 339.9 ± 101.1 (154.0–475.0) 281.8 ± 75.8 (164.0–420.0) 339.1 ± 83.7 (193.0–476.0) 0.037
Right vitelline length, μm 1391.9 ± 322.6 (995.0–2150.0) 1142.2 ± 210.9 (870.0–1679) 1311.7 ± 204.5 (904.0–1763.0) 0.001
Right vitelline width, μm 343.8 ± 80.9 (211.0–450.0) 290.3 ± 87.5 (182.0–480.0) 331.8 ± 75.9 (210.0–493.0) 0.025
Egg length, μm 39.9 ± 1.5 (37.0–45.0) 39.2 ± 1.6 (37.0–44.0) 39.7 ± 1.24 (37.0–43.0) 0.32
Egg width, μm 26.6 ± 1.6 (25.0–30.0) 26.7 ± 2.01 (24.0–30.0) 27.03 ± 2.05 (24.0–30.0) 0.71
cally different.
We found the significant direct correlation between the length and area of body of
lancet flukes (Р < 0.05). The correlation coefficient rs was 0.94 in trematodes from cattle, 0.9
in parasites from sheep and 0.93 in helminthes from goat.
We also observed the highest prevalence of infection in sheep (28.42 %), average in
cattle (26.9 %), and smallest in goat (24.5 %).
Our data corresponds to the findings of other authors, who find the highest rates
of infection in sheep (1.14 %) compared to cattle and goat (0.60 %) in Erak City of
Iran (Arbabi et al., 2018 b). Majidi-Rad et al. (2018) report that in Guilan provincerom
408 O. V. Kruchynenko, S. M. Mykhailiutenko, O. S. Klymenko, N. S. Kanivets, L. M. Korchan
Caspian Sea Littoral, Northern part of Iran sheep are more frequently infected with di-
crocoeliasis compared to cattle. Khanjari et al. found higher prevalence of dicrocoeliasis
in sheep compared to goat in Amol Abattoir, Mazandaran, northern Iran (Khanjari et al.,
2014). Conversely, other scientists noted the higher prevalence of dicrocoeliasis in cattle
(4.81 %) compared to small cattle (2.33 %) in western Iran (Shahbazi and Chalehchaleh,
2017). The prevalence of infection was as high as 25.5 % in Sardinia, Italy (Scala et al.,
2019). In Algiers, the overall prevalence of dicrocoeliasis in cattle was 0.52 % (Chou-
gar et al., 2019). At farms of Altai region, the prevalence was as high as 20.6 % in cattle
(Shmakova, 2019).
We find that there are seasonal and age dynamics of dicrocoeliasis. For example, the
highest prevalence of infection was observed in cattle, sheep and goat in autumn and win-
ter. However, there are findings of winter to spring peak of prevalence of dicrocoeliasis in
goat (Korchan, 2015). In warm climate, significant relation between the season and the
prevalence of infection was not found (Arbabi et al., 2011 a; Chougar et al., 2019). In Iran,
the distribution rates of dicrocoeliasis were much higher in summer compared to winter
(Shahbazi and Chalehchaleh, 2017).
We noted that in ruminants the rates of infection increase with time, which is in agree-
ment with a number of other reports (Beck et al., 2014; Korchan, 2015). It has been ob-
served that in females, rates of infection are higher than in males (Chougar et al., 2019).
Our findings regarding the area of body of lancet flukes obtained from cattle, sheep and
goat are in line with those of other scientists. Thus, the comparison of metric parameters of
trematodes obtained from cow and sheep revealed that the mean body area of trematodes
collected from cow was 7.8 mm2, and that of trematodes obtained from sheep was 6.6 mm2.
The length of trematode body was 6.5 mm and 5.7 mm, respectively (Beck et al., 2015).
Other scientists have found that the mean length of body of D. dendriticum obtained
from sheep was 7.2 mm, and the mean width of body was 2.5 mm (Kuchai et al., 2011).
In our study, the maximum length of body in trematodes obtained from sheep was up to
8.0 mm, and the maximum width of trematode body was 2.5 mm. In their research, the
scientists of Algiers have indicated significantly smaller metric parameters: the trematode
body was no longer than 4.6 mm, and 1.2 wide (Chougar et al., 2019).
The scientists from Russian Federation have also considered the morphological and
metric parameters of lancet flukes from various animal hosts. Their results are in line with
the described variability of trematodes. According to their data, mean length of body of
lancet flukes was 7.5 mm in cattle, and ranged from 5 mm to 7.0 mm in sheep and goat.
The differences in width of body were not statistically significant. The authors also have
established a high coefficient of direct correlation between the length of body and length of
vitelline ducts in trematodes (Shelyakin and Stepanov, 2013). In our study, the correlation
was found between the length of body and body area of trematodes.
Conclusion
Trematode species Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea,
Dicrocoeliidae) infects cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus,
1758) and domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) in the central regions
of Ukraine. Local prevalence of dicrocoeliasis is 26.9 % in cattle, 28.42 % in sheep and
24.5 % in goat. Rates of infection are 18–104 trematodes per cow, 26–789 trematodes per
sheep and 23–495 trematodes per goat. The peak of dicrocoeliasis infection is observed
in autumn and winter, and the intensity of infection is higher of aged animals (over four
years old). The significant variability of morphometric parameters of trematodes depends
on the host species. Thus, the mean length and width of body, and length of vitelline ducts
of D. dendriticum collected from cattle are higher than those of trematodes obtained from
sheep and goat. A strong direct correlation is established between the length of body and
area of body of lancet flukes (Р < 0.05).
409Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum Parasitizing Three Host Species…
We are grateful for the assistance of Dr. Sc. V. V. Kornyushin and Ph. D. O. B. Greben, I. I. Schmalhausen
Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine, in identification of trematode species and morphometric studies.
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Received 4 February 2020
Accepted 26 October 2020
|
| id | oai:ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua:article-70 |
| institution | Zoodiversity |
| issn | 2707-7268 |
| keywords_txt_mv | |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-08-21T01:01:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine |
| record_format | ojs |
| resource_txt_mv | ojsakademperiodykaorgua/68/0f69834aef00262032dda96633751f68.pdf |
| spelling | oai:ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua:article-702026-08-20T12:37:31Z Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine Kruchynenko, O. V. Mykhailiutenko, S. M. Klymenko, O. S. Kanivets, N. S. Korchan, L. M. cattle sheep goats morphology prevalence Dicrocelium Distribution of trematodes of the species Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) parasitizing cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) was studied in the Poltava and Kirovohrad regions of Ukraine. The recorded prevalence of infection is 26.9 % in cattle, 28.42 % in sheep and 24.5 % in goat. D. dendriticum is the only species of the genus Dicrocoelium which infects domestic animals in the central regions of Ukraine. The trematodes obtained from cattle are significantly different from those isolated from sheep and goat by length, width and area of body, and length of vitelline ducts. Publishing House "Akademperiodyka" of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 2020-09-24 Article Article application/pdf https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/70 10.15407/zoo2020.05.403 Zoodiversity; Vol. 54 No. 5 (2020): Zoodiversity Zoodiversity (Vestnik Zoologii); Том 54 № 5 (2020): Zoodiversity 2707-7268 2707-725X 10.15407/zoo2020.05 en https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/70/48 Copyright (c) 2020 Oleh Kruchynenko https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | Kruchynenko, O. V. Mykhailiutenko, S. M. Klymenko, O. S. Kanivets, N. S. Korchan, L. M. Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title | Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title_full | Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title_fullStr | Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title_short | Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine |
| title_sort | morphological characteristics of dicrocoelium dendriticum (digenea, dicrocoeliidae), parasitizing three host species in the central regions of ukraine |
| topic_facet | cattle sheep goats morphology prevalence Dicrocelium |
| url | https://ojs.akademperiodyka.org.ua/index.php/Zoodiversity/article/view/70 |
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