Diseases Summary

More information on Metacercaria Infection (Flatworms)

Main Ref:	41805
Disease type:	Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)
Disease name:	Metacercaria Infection (Flatworms)
Other names:	Digenetic Trematode Infection
Caus. agent:	N.A.
Group:

Part of body and/or behavior affected by disease:
Skins and/or fins	Belly	Swimming behavior
Gills	Anus	Other behavior
Eyes	Viscera Afflicted	Other symptoms

Fish affected:
Symptoms:	Can be recognize in the skin and muscles as small black dots or larger white inclusions. Sometimes we can find the metacercaria as a little bumps in the muscular tissue.
Treatments:	Mixture of Niclosamide (Dose: 0.5gm to a bit of food (100gm) and mix it thoroughly. This can be done with gelatine or vegetable oil), Praziquantel (Dose: 100mg/25gm of food for 7 days (for metacercaria), or Piperazine (Dose: 0.5gm to a bit of food (100gm) and mix it thoroughly. This can be done with gelatine or vegetable oil).
Prophylaxis:	Fish should be managed and kept healthy as possible.
Remarks:	Metacercariae are larvae of digenetic Trematodes that can be found in the skin, eyes, muscular tissue and in the internal organ. This worms, in various forms use one or more intermediate host to complete their life cycle. Metacercaria infections can occur as or in: internal organs, black spot (usually Neascus sp.), white or yellow grub (usually Clinostomum sp.), in the eyes (blind), encapsulated worms in the gills, and encapsulated or free metacercaria in the intestines.
Mortality and seasonality
Mortality:
Seasonality: