Internal Parasites 137 



Nodular Tceniasis 



Stiles says, p. 15: "At least one species of tape worm 

 (Davainea tetragona) causes a serious nodular disease of the 

 intestine of chickens which upon superficial examination may 

 be easily mistaken for tuberculosis." Moore ^ says : 



"Tuberculosis is the only known disease for which this 

 affection is liable to be mistaken, and it is of much importance 

 that the two diseases should not be confounded. The 

 diagnosis has not in my experience been difficult, as in every 

 case the attached tape worms were readily detected upon a 

 close examination of the intestinal contents, or of the mu- 

 cous membrane of the infected portion of the intestine. How- 

 ever, the worms are quite small and could easily be over- 

 looked in a hurried or cursory examination. In case of 

 doubt, if the affected intestine is opened and the mucous 

 surface washed carefully in a gentle -stream of water, the 

 small worms will be observed hanging to the mucous mem- 

 brane. This discovery, in the absence of lesions in the liver 

 or other organs, would warrant the diagnosis of the tape 

 worm disease." 



Diagnosis. — The symptoms of tape worm disease are not 

 specific. The general symptoms are similar to those of other 

 worms (cf. p. 134). Regarding the symptoms of tape worms 

 Ziirn ^ says : 



"If numerous tape worms are present in the intestine of 

 young or old fowls a more or less extensive intestinal catarrh 

 develops, corresponding to the greater or less number of 

 parasites present. 



"The intestinal catarrh shows itself, especially in chickens 



1 Moore, V. A., "A Nodular Taeniasis in Fowls." U. S. Dept. of 

 Agric, Bur. Anim. Ind., Circ. No. 3, p. 4, 1895. 



2 Ziirn, F. A., "Die Krankheiten des Hausgefliigels." Weimar, 

 1882. 



