Occurrence of amphistomosis in wild ruminants in The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

A systematic study on the occurrence of amphistomosis in wild ruminants observed during post mortem examination in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India was undertaken. A total of 14 wild ruminants comprising of eight Indian gaurs, five sambar deers and one spotted deer were screened during the fourteen months period from December 2023 to January 2025. During post mortem examination a total of 201 amphistomes were collected, labelled and processed as per standard procedures. The amphistomes were morphologically identified as Cotylophoron cotylophorum which were pear shaped and featured by tandem testes, a distinct genital sucker surrounding the genital pore and a large ventral sucker. The dimensions of amphistomes measured were found to be 6-12 mm in length and 2-5 mm in width. The present observations on the occurrence of amphistome infection in large numbers will be important to frame strategies for control of amphistomes in these animals.