ANIMAL DISEASES. I43 



Worm Parasites of Animals. 



University of Birmingham. 



There is an urgent need for further information regarding animal 

 diseases in this country due to worms. In some cases where the 

 seriousness of the disease is evident, investigations have been 

 carried out and preventive and remedial measures have been 

 devised. There are, however, vast numbers of worms of various 

 sorts which take up their abode in the ahmentary tracts of animals, 

 living at the expense of the latter, about which little or nothing 

 is known. In many cases the symptoms of attack are not 

 markedly characteristic, and the only noticeable feature may be 

 loss of condition of the animal, so that the need for further know- 

 ledge has not been regarded as urgent. It is clear, however, 

 that the aggregate loss to our flocks and herds, due to worms, 

 must be very great, even though the actual mortality is not liigh. 

 When the University of Birmingham began work on the subject 

 in 1913, and investigated a disease of sheep due to round-worm 

 attack, it was found that the infected animals contained a large 

 number of different species of round-worms, many of which had 

 hitherto not been recognised in this country. Before treatment 

 could be suggested for this or any similar disease, therefore, it 

 was necessary to make a systematic survey of the round-worms 

 affecting sheep. This was done, and a complete list of genera and 

 species was completed in 1914. A detailed study of the life 

 history of one of the worms — Nematodirus filicoUis, which 

 causes scouring in sheep — was then made, and the results pub- 

 lished in 1915. About this time there was a serious outbreak of 

 red-worm in horses in the Redditch district. In investigating 

 this outbreak the Department found that tl'ie round-worms 

 attacking horses had never been scientifically studied, and that 

 there were nearly 20 totally distinct species present in the diseased 

 animals. A similar study of the red- worms affecting horses was 

 therefore commenced, and a complete list of genera and species 

 pubhshed in 1917. 



Meanwhile another group of worms, the tape-worm., was 

 being investigated. In this case, also, it was soon found that 

 little information existed regarding the various forms of the 

 tape- worm attacking farm animals in this country. The tape- 

 v/orms attacking fowls were first studied, various species being 

 identified and their life histories investigated. From diseased 

 fowls sent to the Institute it is clear that tape-worms are fre- 

 quently responsible for emaciation and often cause death. 



