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Organism: Balantidium coli - trophozoite form | |
| Host: Pig | ||
| Preparation: Giemsa's stained smear of gut contents | ||
| Magnification:x400 |
B.coli is probably a normal constituent of most pig guts but occasionally gives rise to disease - swine dysentery if present in large numbers.
The form shown here is the trophozoite or feeding stage of the parasite. Balantidium is a large, ciliated protozoan that can be easily seen swimming through the gut contents in a wet-film preparation. After fixation and staining, however, the outer covering of cilia becomes difficult to see although it reveals the characteristically large nucleus and often the contractile vacuoles.
See also