Comparative Parasitology 67(2) 2000 - Peru State College

KOGA ET AL.—SURFACE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF GNATHOSTOMA 247
Figures 5, 6. Scanning electron micrographs of Gnathostoma cf. binucleatum. 5. The terminal end of
a larva where the anal opening (AP) is clearly visible on the ventral surface of the larva, which has a
crescent shape. Scale = 3.5 (Jim. 6. The terminal extremity of a larva, showing a lateral phasmidial pore
(PH). Scale = 12 urn.
and found that the eggs have no surface pits.
Furthermore, Kuramochi et al. (unpublished
data, 1999) found arrangement differences in the
mitochondrial DNA of adult Thai specimens of
G. spinigerum and the adult Mexican gnathostome.
Although our SEM observations did not
show typical differences in larval stages between
these 2 species, we think that this Mexican
gnathostome may be a separate species.
Such designation must, however, await a more
detailed analysis.
Gnathostoma spinigerum was reported in Ecuador
in 1981 (Ollague et al., 1981), yet their
description remains unclear. The adult of this
species should be re-examined more precisely.
We assume that this human-infecting Latin
American gnathostome may be the same as that
of G. binucleatum.
Figures 7, 8. Cross-sections of the larval intestines of Gnathostoma cf. binucleatum. 7. A cross section
of the Temazcal larva. Multiple nuclei are evident in 1 cell. Scale = 20 |xm. 8. A cross-section of the
Sinaloan larva. Arrows indicate the cells with 5 nuclei each. Scale = 20 urn.
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