In a pig with the cecum open, which worms are present?

• A. Trichuris and Oesophagostomum
• B. Ascaris suum
• C. Strongyloides
• D. Taenia solium

Answer: (A)

The cecum houses specific large‑intestinal parasites that live in its wall or lumen. In pigs, the whipworm Trichuris suis and the nodular worm Oesophagostomum spp. are the ones that reside in the cecum and nearby colon, often embedded in the mucosa or forming nodules. So when you open the cecum, you’d expect to find these two worms.

Ascaris suum and Strongyloides ransomi mainly inhabit the small intestine, not the cecum, so they wouldn’t be the typical worms seen upon opening the cecum. Taenia solium is a tapeworm that involves cysticerci in pig muscle and the adult typically resides in a human host, not in the pig’s cecum. Thus the worms present in an opened pig cecum are Trichuris suis and Oesophagostomum spp.