penpastomid

[kakabekabunny]

Has anyone had experience with this parasite? My 3 year old male corn passed away 2 weeks ago. I couldn't bury him right away, so put him in a clear plastic container. When I got home I noticed little white worms burrowing their way through his skin. Lab analysis said they were penpastomid, but neither they or my vet knew very much about them. We dewormed all the other snakes, and his viv was soaked in straight javex for 2 days. Apparently this parasite can be passed to humans. Any advice or information gratefully accepted. My vet is doing research, but there is not much info.

[Nanci]

I've never heard of it. I'm sorry for your loss!

[daddio207]

Sorry for your loss.

Do you mean pentastomid ?

Do you feed live of frozen ?
After researching parasites due to another thread, it appears that pentastomids can be passed to a host from feeder rodents. Do not know if they can survive freezing hence my question.

[kakabekabunny]

Sorry for your loss.

Do you mean pentastomid ?

Do you feed live of frozen ?
After researching parasites due to another thread, it appears that pentastomids can be passed to a host from feeder rodents. Do not know if they can survive freezing hence my question.

Yes pentastomid. Sorry for the spelling error. No I have always fed ft

[daddio207]

Any pet mammals (hamster, gerbil, cat, etc.) in the household ?
Any fish eating snakes?

Again, sorry your snake passed. I ask these questions only to help the herp community out to hopefully prevent this from happening to someone else.

[kakabekabunny]

Any pet mammals (hamster, gerbil, cat, etc.) in the household ?
Any fish eating snakes?

Again, sorry your snake passed. I ask these questions only to help the herp community out to hopefully prevent this from happening to someone else.

I appreciate the questions. I too would like more info on this parasite. I have 4 other snakes & don't want to lose them. The lab that ID'd this worm has never seen it before either. We do know it is transmitted by ingestion through contaminated food or exposure to stool and that it can be passed to humans, but we aren't sure of treatment, or whether the parasite can be eradicated completely or not. And also what symptoms to look for in both snakes & humans.

T answer your question, I do have a cat and 2 dogs.

[daddio207]

To answer your question, I do have a cat and 2 dogs.

Did the Vet think it would be wise to check the cat and dogs ?

Found this....

Pentastomes

"Pentastomes are found in a wide variety of reptiles, with variable pathogenicity. Pentastomid infections are occasionally associated with pneumonic signs, but these primitive arthropods can inhabit any tissue and symptoms will vary with their migration path and tissues responses. Pentastomes were initially found primarily in tropical poisonous snakes; however, as more necropsies on reptiles were performed, more were found. Necropsy results from 88 bearded dragons showed that 11 were infested with pentastomes. No truly effective treatment has been reported, but praziquantel at dosages of 8 mg/kg and ivermectin at 5–10 times normal dosages have been shown to reduce ova numbers being shed, but have not eliminated the worms. The most novel approach has been to endoscopically locate and mechanically remove all the adult pentastomes. Recognition of pentastomal infestations is important because these parasites are thought to present a risk of zoonotic infection."

I wonder if "tongue worms" pentastomes are somewhat common in reptiles but stay in a "safe quantity" until some other issue reduces the hosts good health to a point that the worms overburden its system?

[kakabekabunny]

Thank you so much for that information

[vetusvates]

This morning I got as far as, but no further than, the Pentastomida (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentastomida)...in wikipedia. (Link provided.)

I was horrified.

Sorry for your loss.
I would be sure that everything else is 'all clear'.