Primer hallazgo de Spirometra mansoni en Felis domesticus de Costa Rica

Abstract

A tapeworm found in the small intestine of cats from two different zones of Costa Rica (Liberia-Guanacaste and Atenas-Alajuela), is described. According to a morphologic comparative analysis, the parasite is classified as Spirometra genus, since the uterus is coiled and the eggs have pointed ends, while in Diphyllobothrium the uterus has a rose shape and the eggs present rounded ends. The presence in the anterior part of the uterus of a variable number of coils and the undulating vagina, let us to assign the name Spirometra mansoni to this organism, which represents the first report of this parasite in Costa Rica. The importance of this parasites in the human point of view is discussed.