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Temperature-induced nematode embryonation within Petri dishMonika Sinha1, Angitha KP1, Bijay Ranjan Mirdha1, Nishant Verma1 Patient description A 7-year-old male child presented with complaints of recurrent bleeding from the mouth for a period of 2 weeks. He also complained of intermittent abdominal pain with altered bowel habits for one year. Procedures Laboratory investigations showed low haemoglobin levels of 6.3 g/dl and decreased haematocrit of 20.1%. The total red and white blood cell counts were below the normal range. He had undergone an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and worms were found in the small intestine. His stool samples were sent for examination. Upon microscopic examination of wet-mount preparation, ova of hookworm were identified (Figure 1 and 2). As a routine practice in our laboratory, all wet-mount preparations are usually kept for re-examination and re-evaluation of the findings. Thus, the wet-mount preparation was kept in a petri dish maintaining the moisture. Examination on the very next day showed nicely appreciable movement of the embryo within the eggshell (Figure 3 and 4). Discussion with conclusions Nematodes are ubiquitous and have evolved on multiple different conditions and occasions. The relationship between temperature and the development of nematodes also in the free-living Caenorhabditis elegans is not unknown. Human ancylostomiasis is caused by Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale and their embryonation occurs in the soil. Embryonation is temperature sensitive besides humidity [1]. However, embryonation in non-experimental laboratory conditions has been rarely reported. In our case, possibly the temperature in the laboratory (42°C) has induced the development of the embryo. Hookworm infection in India can be referred to in the papers of Dr Hayman Thornhill presented in the first Indian Medical Congress held in Calcutta in the year 1894. Subsequently, the importance of hookworm was brought by Dr Chandler in 1928 and it was one of the chief scourges of India at that period. India is a vast country and every possible variety of climate is to be encountered within her borders, also the soil composition varies significantly from clay and black soil, black cotton soil, to sandy and porous soils. In South India, Necator americanus is reported less than 5% compared to 20% of A. duodenale in Bengal [2]. According to more recent estimates, 258 million (or 1 in 5) people in India are thought to have soil-transmitted helminths (STH), with 148 million Ascaris lumbricoides, 109 million hookworm, and 41 million Trichuris trichiura infections [3]. Chronic infections and prolonged morbidity are typically the results of hookworm infection. It has been demonstrated that children with chronic infections suffer from malnutrition, stunting, and cognitive impairments, and pregnant women develop anaemia [4, 5].  Figure 1. Microscopic images of hookworm eggs. [please click on the image to enlarge] |
 Generate PDF/or right-click and save as.../  Figure 2. The embryo of Ancylostoma duodenale has begun cellular division. [please click on the image to enlarge]  Figure 3. Screenshot of the film showing movement of the hookworm embryo within the eggshell. The film may be viewed on the official WJOMI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2URYqFxyZ5Y. [please click on the image to open film]  Figure 4. Screenshot of the film showing movement of the hookworm embryo within the eggshell. The film may be viewed on the official WJOMI YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/dOLxkOk4JgU. [please click on the image to open film] References: [1] Devaney E. Thermoregulation in the life cycle of nematodes. Internat J Parasitol 2006; 36:641-9. [2] Chandler AC. Hookworm infections in India. Indian Medical Gazette; May 1928. [3] Lai YS, Biedermann P, Shrestha A, Chammartin F, N AP, Montresor A, et al. Risk profiling of soil-transmitted helminth infection and estimated number of infected people in South Asia: A systematic review and Bayesian geostatistical Analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007580. [4] Gyorkos TW, Gilbert NL. Blood drain: soil-transmitted helminths and anemia in pregnant women. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2912. [5] Brooker S, Clements AC, Bundy DA. Global epidemiology, ecology and control of soil-transmitted helminth infections. Adv Parasitol 2006; 62:221-61. Conflict of interest: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article. No external funding was received. Authors’ affiliations: 1 Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. Corresponding author: Dr Bijay Ranjan Mirdha, MD, Professor Department of Microbiology All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, India Tel. +919899679399 e-mail: mirdhabraiims@gmail.com To cite this article: Sinha M, Angitha KP, Mirdha BR, Verma N. Temperature-induced nematode embryonation within Petri dish. World J Med Images Videos Cases 2025; 11:e5-8. Submitted for publication: 25 October 2024 Accepted for publication: 26 January 2025 Published on: 19 March 2025 |
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