Answer to Case 565

Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 565: Bertiella species

This case nicely demonstrates a short chain of proglottids and egg (expressed from the proglottids) of Bertiella - a tapeworm of non-human primates that only rarely infects humans. You can read more about this fascinating parasite at the CDC DPDx website.

The proglottids are very short and wide, thus giving this small segment of proglottids the appearance of 'bow tie' pasta as several of my readers pointed out! (arrows point to some of the individual proglottids)

Bertiella eggs have an internal pyriform apparatus which is difficult to make out in this case. It is better seen in my previous case from 2012: Case of the Week 193.

Thanks again to Professor Agnes Kurniawan from the University of Indonesia who donated this case.