Echinoparyphium species are common, widely distributed intestinal parasites causing disease in animals worldwide. Intermediate hosts include snails, bivalves, and fish, whereas the definitive hosts are mainly birds and mammals. This review examines the significant literature on Echinoparyphium. Descriptive studies, life cycle, experimental and manipulative studies, and biochemical and molecular studies are presented. The influence of environmental factors, and toxic pollutants, are reviewed as well as studies on the pathology of Echinoparyphium.
The sequencing of ITS1 fragments of the rDNA were assayed in order to discriminate species and to establish relationships between representatives of the genera: Echinoparyphium (E. elegans, E. recurvatum, E. pseudorecurvatum), Pseudechinoparyphium (P. echinatum), Neoacanthoparyphium (N. echinatoides) and Hypoderaeum (H. conoideum). The assay has shown that the most closely related are three species of Echinoparyphium while P. echinatum and N. echinatoides were more distant, especially the latter. H. conoideum appeared to be close to Echinoparyphium. The analysis of sequences of ITS1 region of rDNA and RAPD profiles corroborated with earlier conclusions based on chaetotaxy of cercariae and the excretory system patterns.