Localization, length and reproduction in single- and multiple-worm infections of Echinostoma revolutum (Trematoda) in the chick.

Mono-metacercarial infections of Echinostoma revolutum in the domestic chick yielded 14- or 15-day-old worms that produced viable eggs, indicating that this species can self-fertilize under conditions which preclude cross-fertilization. In multiple infection studies, chicks were fed either 5 or 10 cysts and each infected chick contained 2-7 worms at necropsy 14 or 15 days later. Worms from multiple infections were mainly paired or clustered and they tended to locate more posteriorly in the intestine than single worms. Length measurements of single and multiple worms were similar. Both the number of eggs and the percentage of hatched eggs were considerably greater in multiple than in single infections.