74
Nasal Schistosomiasis in Goats
On 28 March 1939, a sample of nasal discharge and small pieces of growth
removed from the nostrils of a she-goat were received in the laboratory from
Mr. R. R. Sarkar, Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Dinapore, with the
history that the animal was showing nasal growths. Microscopical examina-
tion of direct cover slip preparations from the sample of nasal discharge reveal-
ed a large number of boomerang-shaped eggs which were indistinguishable
from those found in bovine nasal schistosomiasis. Sections of the growths
showed a. picture similar to that seen in bovine nasal schistosomiasis but no
parasites could be seen as only superficial portions of the growths had been
cut. Attempts to obtain the goat for further investigation were, however,
unsuccessful. The case was treated with tartar emetic and discharged as
cured. On 26 June 1939 Mr. R. R. Sarkar sent to the laboratory an affected
castrated he-goat (Plate IV, fig. 1), which supplied the material for the purposes
of this investigation. The goat was kept under observation for a month be-
fore it was destroyed for the purpose of post-mortem and histo-pathological
examinations.
Features of the disease. —It must be stated at the outset that what follows
has been observed in the only case at our disposal and as it was not in an
advanced stage of the disease, it is quite possible that many variations will be
noticed when a large number of affected animals becomes available for observa-
tion.
The chief clinical manifestations were sneezing, coryza, congestion of and
growths on the nasal mucosa and difficult respirations. The attacks of sneez-
ing were fairly frequent. The coryza was slight and bilateral. The discharge
was intermittent, small in quantity and either mucopurulent or sanguinolent.
Congestion and the pimply growths were easily seen in both the nasal fossae.
The growths were more or less confined to the alae nasi and the septum nasi.
The growths were small and did not extend beyond an inch or so. At rest
the respiratory distress was slight, on exercise it became marked. The sound
emitted was not so loud as heard in bovine nasal schistosomiasis.
Nothing can yet be said about the incidence of this disease, but when more
information is available it may be found that it too, like bovine nasal schistoso-
miasis, has a strictly regional and seasonal distribution. Of the two cases that
have come under notice one was male and the other female.
Examination of nasal discharge. —Samples of nasal discharge were obtained
on different dates from this goat. Microscopical examination of direct cover
glass preparations from every sample when examined revealed among the
blood corpuscles and other catarrhal products the presence of a large number
of eggs (Plate V, fig. 1) all of which were of one type and like those seen in the
sample sent from Dinapore were indistinguishable from those (Plate IV, fig. 3)
seen in the nasal discharge from cases of bovine nasal schistosomiasis. The
eggs although present in all portions of the discharge appeared to be most
numerous in blood clots in which they occurred in masses ; these were in all
stages of development. In length they varied from 320µ-458µ and in breadth
from 48µ-64µ depending upon their stage of maturity. The average length
of the spine was 12.6µ. The liberated miracidium did not differ from that
described by Malkani [1933] in bovine nasal schistosomiasis.