Pathological effects of Echinostoma caproni (Trematoda) in the domestic chick

Domestic chicks experimentally infected with Echinostoma caproni for 2 weeks showed a dilated ileum, unkempt feathers, watery diarrhoea, and weight loss. The ileum from infected and control chicks was fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, and prepared as 10 microns paraffin sections stained in haematoxylin and eosin, Papanicolau, periodic acid-Schiff, picro-ponceau, and alcian blue. The infected ileum showed atrophic villi, hypertrophied circular musculature with collagen-like fibres and haemorrhagic zones. The brush borders of epithelial cells and goblet cells were absent in the mucosa of the infected ileum. Worms in contact with host mucosa showed tissue plugs in the suckers. The cephalic spines of worms abraded the host mucosa.