Morphometric and scanning electron microscopy based identification of Ancylostoma caninum parasites in dog

Ancylostoma caninum, a blood feeding nematode parasite (Family: Ancylostomatidae, Superfamily: Ancylostomatoidea) can cause anaemia, dark reddish-brown to black haemorrhagic diarrhoea, dehydration, wasting and deaths due to heavy blood loss. Adult hook worm parasites recovered from the intestine of a stray dog at the time of necropsy were identified as A. caninum based on morphological characters and morphometric observations involving scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Different developmental stages of hookworm eggs viz. 8 cell stage, morula, gastrula and vermiform were observed during the culture process of faecal sample. High quality SEM photographs showed teeth of dimensions 52.5, 42.3 and 23.5 μm on one side and 55.4, 43.8 and 21.0 μm on the other side along with the presence of characteristic transverse cuticular striations on body surface of A. caninum parasites.