OBSERVATIONS ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF ADULTS AND LARVAL STAGES OF OESOPHAGOSTOMUM SP ISOLATED FROM MAN IN NORTHERN TOGO AND GHANA

Infection with Oesophagostomum sp. appears to be extremely common in m an in northern Togo and Ghana. Adult specimens were recovered from the intestinal lumen by treatment with pyrantel pamoate and the morpholog ical characteristics of oesophagostomes of man could for the first tim e be compared with information available on the morphology of oesophag ostomes of monkeys. The observations and measurements demonstrated tha t the species involved is Oesophagostomum bifurcum and that the eggs o f this species cannot be differentiated from those of Necator american us. Both infections occur simultaneously in the population involved. T he L1 larvae, too, cannot be differentiated from hookworm L1 larvae. T he L3 larvae, however, are characteristic. Diagnoses of human Oesophag ostomum infections is based on the detection of these larvae in coproc ultures. In the present paper, the eggs, the L1 and L3 larval stages a nd the adults, are carefully described and photos are given.