68
PARAMPHISTOMES
IN
ANIMALS
[Vol. XXVII, Part II,
any other amphistome species in sheep and cattle in Hosur taluk of Salem district
in Madras State. But, Ramkrishnan [1951] records having obtained from an out-
break of acute amphistomiasis in cattle in Nellore district of Madras only specimens,
of mature and immature forms of G. crumenifer and F. cobboldi and remarked total
absence of C. cotylophorum, which was almost a constant finding in other places.
Anantaraman's [1954 unpublished] preliminary observations on the occurrence
of amphistomes in Madras State tend to show that P. cervi may not be present
there at all.
In the present paper a report is made on the occurrence of some members of
this group, collected from domesticated animals in different geographical zones
of the State of Bihar. This State lies over the Tropic of Cancer and certain parts of
it possess ideal topographical features for the spread and propagation of trematode
parasites, which have been discussed previously by the author [1954].
In the annual reports of the State Veterinary Department a few sporadic mentions
have been made of the recovery of P. cervi, P. expalnatum, C. cotylophorum, F. elonga¬
tus and G. crumenifer here and there. Kuppuswamy [1946], while elucidating the
etiology of ' Gillar ' and ' Pitto ' (called ' Chherrah ' in Bihar) in sheep and goats,
records having constantly recovered a large number of P. cervi sometimes along with
a few G. crumenifer from these animals and later claimed that immature forms of
P. cervi were the causative agents of the disease. In this connection the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research commented later that P. cervi should be substituted
by C. cotylophorum. This indicates the difficulty of distinguishing these two amphis-
tomes in their very immature stages. Later investigations in this direction carried
out by the writer and some of his associates in this State have resulted in the
recovery of immature amphistomes mostly belonging to Gastrothylax sp. in
significantly large numbers in animals suffering from ' Chherrah ', while immature
C. cotylophorum, Calicophoron calicophorum were found in comparatively smaller
numbers. These data tend to show that it is perhaps not any particular amphis-
tome species that is responsible for setting up the condition popularly known as
' Chherrah ', but that all these immature intestinal amphistomes produce
gastro-enteritis.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
During the period February to May, 1952, the author had the opportunity of
collecting a large number of paramphistomes from cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats,
horses and pigs from different geographical zones in the State of Bihar. These
collections were made during autopsies at veterinary institutions and abottoirs.
The worms were all fixed in 10 per cent hot formol-saline while still alive. Further
collections were made during 1953 and 1954. The material included several genera
of the family Paramphistomidae Fischoeder, 1901, and a short account of them
is given here. The identification rests on the examination of whole-mounts and
hand-sections of some of the specimens. Wherever necessary, histological studies
were also made on a few specimens.
Tables I, II and III furnish the number of animals examined and found infected
with various amphistomes in different localities of the State together with incidence
of infection with each species.