Self Insemination in Echinococcus granulosus in vivo

Abstract

Self insemination appears to be the normal process of sperm transfer in Echinococus granulosus and has been observed in both terminal and subterminal proglottids of worms from dogs.Cross fertilization between adjacent proglottids or between proglottids of different strobila was not observed.In some instances, the genital pore was found occluded by a ‘plug’ of material which may represent an antige–antibody precipitate.The implications of self-insemination in relation to in vitro studies and to the genetics of ‘strain’ production in the genus Echinococcus are discussed.