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Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 10:41 pm
by Octane80
So, this photo is from when I just started playing with my old AO, 100x with some magnification from my camera, but I don't recall how much (sorry about the quality). The closest thing I found to compare it to is schistosoma. What do you guys think? I don't think it could be be a thread or artifact as the room contains no red fiber and I was not wearing anything at the time. Any thoughts?

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:23 am
by Crater Eddie
Octane80 wrote: I was not wearing anything at the time.
I did not need to know that. :oops: :lol:

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:29 am
by Octane80
Crater Eddie wrote:
Octane80 wrote: I was not wearing anything at the time.
I did not need to know that. :oops: :lol:
Ha! I just saw that I left out RED in that statement... I was not wearing anything red. ROFL!

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:52 am
by mrsonchus
Too late now octane' - you will forever be known as 'the naked microscopist'! :D :D

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 1:13 pm
by Crater Eddie
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
You didn't say what the sample was that you were looking at that had this thing in it. It does look an awful lot like a fiber.
CE

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:06 pm
by Bruce Taylor
Looks like a fibre, to me.

An unstained trematode should appear brownish or grey. I believe the red schistosomes you see in textbooks have been prepared with stains (acid carmine, or something similar).

Trematodes are amazing, if you can find them! I've encountered the cercaria stage, in water containing snails (species typically move from a mollusc to a vertebrate host, at some point in life). They can be quite entertaining to watch. Here are some I recorded a number of years ago (quality is not very good, because of poor equipment and sloppy technique, but it should give an idea of how weird these guys can be):


Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:41 pm
by 75RR
... but it should give an idea of how weird these guys can be.
Think the music added to their weirdness quotient! :)

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 7:47 pm
by Octane80
Crater Eddie wrote:Sorry, I couldn't resist.
You didn't say what the sample was that you were looking at that had this thing in it. It does look an awful lot like a fiber.
CE
It was in a urine sample.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:51 pm
by hkv
Sure looks like a piece of fiber to me. I often see similar things, but have not checked my urine lately.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:00 pm
by Octane80
Thanks, I could have swore that I read an article that talked about these being red due to feeding on red blood cells, but I can't find anything to that effect now. When I cross referenced other images, I found that indeed most were using a red stain. Thanks for catching that.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2017 10:32 pm
by JimT
Dear "Naked microscopist". I hope it is not Schistosoma. From what I read that doesn't sound too good.

JimT

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 2:35 am
by Bruce Taylor
Octane80 wrote:Thanks, I could have swore that I read an article that talked about these being red due to feeding on red blood cells
If so, I'd expect the redness, to be confined to the gut (caecum), whereas this object seems to lack internal differentiation. However, I don't have any experience with adult schistosomes, and have no business identifying disease organisms on the internet! If you have any real reason to think you're infected (if you've been to an endemic area in the tropics, have symptoms, etc.) you should get it checked out by a competent professional.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 3:03 am
by Bruce Taylor
75RR wrote:
... but it should give an idea of how weird these guys can be.
Think the music added to their weirdness quotient! :)
These guys just seemed to be rocking out. :D

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:10 am
by Octane80
If you have any real reason to think you're infected (if you've been to an endemic area in the tropics, have symptoms, etc.) you should get it checked out by a competent professional


I appreciate any help I can get. I've had an interesting health trip the past few years and though I am doing better I'm still not me yet. Unfortunately I have not found a competent individual in the Illinois area yet.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 4:20 am
by Peter
Hi Octane80 (Naked microscopist),
Have you cleaned your slides/coverslips? "Factory clean" slides/coverslips can come from the box contaminated, this looks like a contaminating fiber to me; I would always clean slides/coverslips before use.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 7:01 am
by Pat Thielen
Bruce Taylor wrote:Looks like a fibre, to me.

An unstained trematode should appear brownish or grey. I believe the red schistosomes you see in textbooks have been prepared with stains (acid carmine, or something similar).

Trematodes are amazing, if you can find them! I've encountered the cercaria stage, in water containing snails (species typically move from a mollusc to a vertebrate host, at some point in life). They can be quite entertaining to watch. Here are some I recorded a number of years ago (quality is not very good, because of poor equipment and sloppy technique, but it should give an idea of how weird these guys can be):

Just out of curiosity, where did you find these beasties?

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:28 pm
by Bruce Taylor
Pat Thielen wrote:Just out of curiosity, where did you find these beasties?
They turned up in some muddy water from a ditch, in a system of ponds connected to the Gatineau river in western Quebec. There were several snails in the collection jar. I have no idea what vertebrate host the cercaria were seeking, and never tried to identify them below subclass level (Digenea).

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:49 am
by Pat Thielen
Bruce Taylor wrote:
Pat Thielen wrote:Just out of curiosity, where did you find these beasties?
They turned up in some muddy water from a ditch, in a system of ponds connected to the Gatineau river in western Quebec. There were several snails in the collection jar. I have no idea what vertebrate host the cercaria were seeking, and never tried to identify them below subclass level (Digenea).

As I understand it, these guys don't live very long outside a host -- Is that correct? Maybe this summer I'll see if I can find a snail infested pond and look for these; they would be quite interesting to observe. Also, I should point out -- I think the music is totally appropriate for these critters. I think they all have a death metal sound track.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:51 am
by SunshineLW
It doubt very much that it is a Schistosome. The adult stages of this organism (which is the only stage that shares any resemblance to the subject of your image) is restricted to the intestinal vessels of the definitive host. The eggs are the only products that are ever released from the definitive host and even this is an extremely difficult task.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 8:56 am
by SunshineLW
Pat Thielen wrote:As I understand it, these guys don't live very long outside a host -- Is that correct?
Incorrect. Schistosome adults are never found outside the definitive host (i.e., mammal). They reside within the mesenteric vessels of the definitive host, where they will release eggs into the host circulation. The eggs are the only products that leave the host and even this is an extremely difficult task.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:26 am
by Pat Thielen
Bruce Taylor wrote:Looks like a fibre, to me.

An unstained trematode should appear brownish or grey. I believe the red schistosomes you see in textbooks have been prepared with stains (acid carmine, or something similar).

Trematodes are amazing, if you can find them! I've encountered the cercaria stage, in water containing snails (species typically move from a mollusc to a vertebrate host, at some point in life). They can be quite entertaining to watch. Here are some I recorded a number of years ago (quality is not very good, because of poor equipment and sloppy technique, but it should give an idea of how weird these guys can be):


Actually, this is a really good video. I'm wondering: How big are they and what magnification were you using. I plan to look for these this summer in the pond behind my house because there are snails there and so there is a possibility of finding them. They are a lot creepier than I thought they'd be; I didn't realize they already have a developed sucker. But you are quite right -- They are very interesting.

Also, do you know if they are infectious if you were to accidentally get one on you? Should I wear gloves when collecting the pond samples, for instance?

Thanks for posting this video -- Now I know what to look for!

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:34 am
by Pat Thielen
SunshineLW wrote:
Pat Thielen wrote:As I understand it, these guys don't live very long outside a host -- Is that correct?
Incorrect. Schistosome adults are never found outside the host. They reside within the mesenteric veins of the host, where they will release eggs into the host circulation. The eggs are the only products that leave the host and even this is an extremely difficult task.

Sorry, I wasn't being clear back when I posted that -- I was referring to the larval stage when I asked that. I forget the name, but the stage after they leave the snail or mollusc host and have the divided tail.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:09 am
by SunshineLW
Pat Thielen wrote:Sorry, I wasn't being clear back when I posted that -- I was referring to the larval stage when I asked that. I forget the name, but the stage after they leave the snail or mollusc host and have the divided tail.

Ah, I see! You were referring to cercaria. They share very little resemblance to the adult stage, but they are found free in the environment. Be careful, they are motile and may even be able to penetrate skin! Wham-bam-China-man, then you are infected and didn't even put anything in your mouth! I believe this is referred to as "swimmer's itch."

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:08 pm
by SunshineLW
Octane80 wrote:It was in a urine sample.
It has to be an artifact. I am not aware of anything natural or pathologic appearing as such in the urine.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2018 4:26 pm
by Bruce Taylor
Pat Thielen wrote:
Bruce Taylor wrote:Actually, this is a really good video. I'm wondering: How big are they and what magnification were you using...Also, do you know if they are infectious if you were to accidentally get one on you? Should I wear gloves when collecting the pond samples, for instance?
As I recall, it was recorded on my old microscope, w/ a 10X objective and a cheap USB cam. I hadn't yet figured out how to set the white balance, which is why everything is a bit greenish.

It's always a good idea to wear gloves when handling parasites, even when you are not the critter's definitive host. As mentioned above, people can contract cercaria dermatitis (swimmer's itch) from water containing young trematodes.

Good luck finding more of these guys!

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 2:31 pm
by Pat Thielen
Bruce Taylor wrote:
Pat Thielen wrote:
Bruce Taylor wrote:Actually, this is a really good video. I'm wondering: How big are they and what magnification were you using...Also, do you know if they are infectious if you were to accidentally get one on you? Should I wear gloves when collecting the pond samples, for instance?
As I recall, it was recorded on my old microscope, w/ a 10X objective and a cheap USB cam. I hadn't yet figured out how to set the white balance, which is why everything is a bit greenish.

It's always a good idea to wear gloves when handling parasites, even when you are not the critter's definitive host. As mentioned above, people can contract cercaria dermatitis (swimmer's itch) from water containing young trematodes.

Good luck finding more of these guys!

I completely agree with the wearing of gloves! I really don't want these heavy metal head-bangin' tail-waggin' beasties anywhere near me. They are indeed the rivet-heads of the microscopic world. I think if I find any I may attempt to make a video with a Ramstein soundtrack. They might just be loud enough to do them justice.

I read that the best time to find them is in mid-summer. So I'm curious when you happened to find yours? I think it has something to do with their lifecycle.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:16 am
by SunshineLW
Pat Thielen wrote:I read that the best time to find them is in mid-summer. So I'm curious when you happened to find yours? I think it has something to do with their lifecycle.
You are correct! It has EVERYTHING to do with the life cycle, which is magnificent!

The eggs are released in the feces of the definitive host (i.e., mammal with adult schistosomes in intestinal veins). These eggs must be released into a water source containing snails/slugs (mollusks). Upon contact with water, the miricidia (aka., L1 larvae) hatch from the eggs and seek out a snail intermediate host (IH). ~25 days post-infection, mature cercariae (aka., L3/L4 larvae) migrate out from the body of the IH and into the aquatic environment. The cercariae, attracted by light, swim towards the water surface, searching for a suitable definitive host (DH).

Natural definitive hosts (aka., reservoir hosts):
- Raccoon, nutria, others

"Unnatural" definitive hosts:
- Human
- Domestic mammals (ex., dog, horse, llama, others)
- Wild mammals (ex., opossum, bobcat, mountain lion, rabbit, armadillo, mice, white-tailed deer, coyote, red wolf, beaver, mink, tapir)

Ideal environments for cercariae:
- Water sources serving as toilets to raccoons (or other infected definitive hosts) (MOST IMPORTANT!!!; no DH = no eggs)
- Water sources containing snail intermediate hosts (MOST IMPORTANT!!!; no IH = no cercariae)
- Slower-moving or stagnant water (especially ponds, streams, and canals)
- Shallow, surface waters
- Water sources during warmer weather (hatching of eggs is dependent on humidity and temperature)

Corapi (2015) suggested that increases in prevalence may be associated with periods of drought, when domestic and wild animals are forced to share stagnant, snail-infested pools of water.

Sources:
1. CDC. “Parasites – Schistosomiasis.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Nov. 2012. Web. 09 Aug. 2017. <https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/>.

2. Lee, Hong-Fang. “Life History of Heterobilharzia Americana Price 1929, a Schistosome of the Raccoon and Other Mammals in Southeastern United States.” The Journal of Parasitology 48.5 (1962): 728-39. Web. 9 Aug. 2017.

3. Corapi, W. V., K. B. Eden, J. F. Edwards, and K. F. Snowden. “Heterobilharzia Americana Infection and Congestive Heart Failure in a Llama (Lama Glama).” Veterinary Pathology 52.3 (2015): 562-65. Web. 9 Aug. 2017.

Re: Not sure, Schistosoma?

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:36 am
by einman
This has to be the only thread to make me laugh out loud!! Thanks Crater Eddie!!!

So amusing.