Which parasite eggs have three pairs of hooklets?

Which parasite eggs have three pairs of hooklets?

• A. Trichuris vulpis
• B. Moniezia species
• C. Taenia species
• D. Alaria species

Answer: (B)

Understanding the structure inside cestode eggs helps identify them under a microscope. The oncosphere inside these eggs typically has six hooklets, arranged as three pairs. This three-pair hooklet pattern is a classic descriptor for Moniezia eggs, making it a reliable clue when distinguishing them from other parasite eggs. The other options don’t fit this feature: Trichuris vulpis eggs are barrel-shaped with polar plugs and no hooklets; Alaria species are trematode eggs with an operculum rather than hooklets; Taenia species do have six hooks in the oncosphere, but the three-pair hooklet description is most characteristic and commonly emphasized for Moniezia in many lab resources.

Understanding the structure inside cestode eggs helps identify them under a microscope. The oncosphere inside these eggs typically has six hooklets, arranged as three pairs. This three-pair hooklet pattern is a classic descriptor for Moniezia eggs, making it a reliable clue when distinguishing them from other parasite eggs.

The other options don’t fit this feature: Trichuris vulpis eggs are barrel-shaped with polar plugs and no hooklets; Alaria species are trematode eggs with an operculum rather than hooklets; Taenia species do have six hooks in the oncosphere, but the three-pair hooklet description is most characteristic and commonly emphasized for Moniezia in many lab resources.