Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2017). 4(8): 197-205 197 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG(USA) Volume 4, Issue 8 - 2017 Research Article Prevalence of Linguatula serrata (Order: Pentastomida) nymphs parasitizing Camels and Goats with experimental infestation of dogs in Egypt Marwa M. Attia* 1 ; Olfat A. Mahdy 1 ; Nagla M. K. Saleh 2 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, P.O. Box 12211, Egypt. 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt *Corresponding author: Marwa Mohamed Attia, PhD, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. .E-mail: marwaattia.vetpara@yahoo.com Abstract Linguatula serrata is an arthropod of the class pentastomida, found worldwide. It has a zoonotic importance to humans either by ingestion of nymphs (nasopharyngeal linguatulosis) or by ingestion of eggs (visceral linguatulosis). This study aimed to record the prevalence rate of this zoonotic parasite in camels and goats as well as experimental infestation of dogs to collect and identify the adults male and female as well as eggs. Four hundred slaughtered camels and goats (200 Goats, 200 Camels) were inspected from Cairo abattoir, of different sex and age at the period of January to December 2015. One hundred donkeys were also inspected on postmortem examination for infestation with L. serrata nymphs from slaughterhouse at Giza zoo, Egypt. Fecal samples, nasal swab were collected from 150 stray dogs for coprological detection of natural infestation with adult L. serrata with negative results. The total prevalence rate of infestation in herbivorous animals was 22.8% with L. serrata nymph. The highest infestation rate occurred in goats (30%) while, the lowest one was in donkeys (8%). The highest intensity of L. serrata nymphs was 50 in goats, while the lowest one was in donkeys (1N/MLN). The highest infestation rate was reported at age ranged from (> 24 months) in goats (50%). However, all inspected animals were found negative for L. serrata nymphs in the age less than 12 months. Nineteen adult L. serrata male and 2 female were recovered from experimental infestation of puppies, morphological parameters of nymphs, adults male and female as well as eggs were recorded. Keywords: Linguatula serrata; experimental infestation; Halzoun, Visceral linguatulosis; Prevalence; Egypt.. 1. Introduction Linguatula serrata is an arthropod of the class pentastomida (Hendrix and Robinson, 2006). The life cycle of L. serata involves two hosts: Dogs, cats, foxes and other carnivores are the definitive hosts of this cosmopolitan parasite. Transmission to intermediate hosts occurs through contamination of nasal secretions and fecal matter of dogs contains eggs of this parasite. Intermediate hosts include human beings and herbivores animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and other ruminants that have ingested grass plants contaminated with L. serrata eggs. They are worm like parasites of the upper respiratory system, inhabits the nasal cavities, turbinate and frontal sinuses of carnivorous animals as definitive hosts (Oryan et al. 1993; Rahman et al. 2009). The eggs are expelled from the respiratory passage of the final DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2017.04.08.024