''Cooperia'' is a genus of
nematode from the
Cooperiidae
Cooperiidae is a family of nematodes that are one of the most common intestinal parasitic nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), wit ...
family that is one of the most common intestinal parasitic
nematodes in cattle in temperate regions. Infections with ''Cooperia'' may result in mild clinical symptoms, but can lead to weight loss and damage of the small intestine, especially when co-infections with other nematodes such as ''
Ostertagia ostertagi'' occur.
Infections are usually treated with broad-spectrum
anthelmintic
Anthelmintics or antihelminthics are a group of antiparasitic drugs that expel parasitic worms (helminths) and other internal parasites from the body by either stunning or killing them and without causing significant damage to the host. They may ...
s
such as
benzimidazole
Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound. This bicyclic compound may be viewed as fused rings of the aromatic compounds benzene and imidazole. It is a colorless solid.
Preparation
Benzimidazole is produced by condensation of o ...
, but resistance to these drugs has developed in the last decades and is now very common.
''Cooperia'' has a direct
life cycle
Life cycle, life-cycle, or lifecycle may refer to:
Science and academia
*Biological life cycle, the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the production of the offspring
* Life-cycle hypothesis ...
. Infective larvae are ingested by the host. The larvae grow to adults, which reproduce in the small intestines. Eggs are shed onto the pasture with the
faeces
Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relati ...
, which leads to new infections. Co-infections with other gastro-intestinal
nematodes such as ''
O. ostertagi'' and ''
Haemonchus contortus
''Haemonchus contortus'', also known as the barber's pole worm, is a very common parasite and one of the most pathogenic nematodes of ruminants. Adult worms attach to abomasal mucosa and feed on the blood. This parasite is responsible for anemia ...
'' are common.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2996592
Rhabditida