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Coenurosis (Gid or Sturdy)

Coenurosis also known as Gid and Sturdy. It is a parasitic disease of animals.

Etiology

Coenurosis (Gid or Sturdy) is caused by Coenurus that is a metacestode stage of taenia.

Coenurus cerebralis

Metacestode stage is called Coenurus cerebralis that is found in intermediate host. Coenurus cerebralis is a large fluid filled cyst about 5 cm or more in diameter, the cyst wall containing several hundred scolices in clusters.

Taenia multiceps

Host affected

Older lambs and adult sheep are at high risk.

Transmission

The animal acquire the infection while grazing on contaminated pasture with T. multiceps egg.

Life cycle and pathogenesis

After ingestion, some oncospheres hatch, then reach the brain, developing by endogenous budding into a metacestode (larval) stage known as Coenurus cerebralis.
Initial invasion and development of the oncospheres may be responsible for acute suppurative meningoencephalitis.
The fully developed coenurus may be 5–6 cm in diameter (it takes 8 months for maturation in CNS).
The cyst produces space occupying lesions and exerts pressure on tissues of brain and spinal cord.
In some cases it causes softening of skull bone and finally leads to perforation and causes increased intracranial pressure, which results in ataxia, hypermetria, blindness, head deviation, stumbling, and paralysis.
This clinical condition is colloquially known as gid, sturdy, or staggers.

Clinical manifestation

The clinical sign varies with the location of cyst on brain and spinal cord includes circling, visual defects, ataxia and hyperaesthesia.

Location of cyst

(a) Parietal region – left side on surface of cerebral hemisphere
- Animals held its head in affected side (left) and moves in circle in left direction and right eye may be blind.
(b) Parietal region – right side on surface of cerebral hemisphere
- Animals held its head in affected side (right) and move in circle in right direction and left eye may be blind.
(c) Anterior part of the brain
- The animal’s head lowered and held against chest, walk in straight line until to hit on hard objects and remain motionless for some time.
(d) Ventricle of the brain-opposite to above direction.
(e) Cerebellum-animal become hyperaesthetic, walk in jerky or staggering gait.
(f) Spinal cord- Progressive paresis of one or both hind limbs.

Diagnosis

Live animals: Through antemortem cyst is difficult to detect.
In sheep, palpation of the skull caudal to the horn buds may reveal refraction.
Ophthalmoscopic examination of the eye prior to development of clinical signs.
Dead animals: post mortem examination.

Treatment

Generally useless, high doses of albendazole may be tried.
Surgical removal of cyst, if it present in the surface of brain.

Control

Avoid feeding of infected brain and spinal cord to dogs.
Regular deworming of dog is necessary.