National Veterinary Examination (獣医師国家試験) · Japan · Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), with the Veterinary Affairs Council
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersHost-parasite relationships and the flukes, tapeworms and roundworms of domestic animals: their life cycles, damage, diagnosis and control, and the growing problem of anthelmintic resistance.
In the exams: ICAR AICE-JRF core group 06; ICAR AIEEA-PG 13 (Parasitology); PRC 10%; Nepal NLEV 6; China preventive paper parasitology 25
How our questions for National Veterinary Examination spread across the units of General Veterinary Parasitology & Helminthology. Difficulty: 12 easy, 20 medium, 3 hard.
| Diagnosis and control of helminths | 6 | |
| Pathogenesis of helminth infections | 4 | |
| Toxocara and Ancylostoma | 3 | |
| Dirofilaria | 3 | |
| Anthelmintic resistance | 3 | |
| Host-parasite relationships | 2 | |
| Taxonomy of parasites | 2 | |
| Trematodes: Fasciola | 2 | |
| Cestodes: Taenia and Echinococcus | 2 | |
| Moniezia | 2 | |
| Nematodes: Haemonchus | 2 | |
| Parasite life cycles | 2 | |
| Amphistomes | 1 | |
| Schistosomes | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Which flukicide is the drug of choice for acute fasciolosis because of its activity against early immature flukes?
D. Triclabendazole
Triclabendazole kills early immature flukes (within the first week or so after infection — labels commonly claim from about two days old) as well as late immature and adult flukes, which is why it is chosen in acute fasciolosis. Oxyclozanide and albendazole act mainly on adult flukes, of little use in acute disease; ivermectin has no activity against flukes. Resistance to triclabendazole exists, so efficacy should be checked.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
The FAMACHA system is used to:
B. Score conjunctival pallor to decide which sheep or goats to treat for Haemonchus
FAMACHA compares eyelid colour with a five-point chart (1 red to 5 white) to identify anaemic animals. It is validated only for Haemonchus-caused anaemia, not for scouring worms.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
A group of first-season grazing calves in late summer is coughing and breathing rapidly. First-stage larvae are recovered from fresh faeces by the Baermann technique. The cause is:
B. Dictyocaulus viviparus
Cattle lungworm causes parasitic bronchitis (husk); L1 larvae appear in fresh faeces. Muellerius infects sheep and goats, and Ostertagia and Haemonchus produce eggs, not larvae, and cause gut disease.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
Which statement about Toxocara cati is correct?
B. Kittens are infected through milk but not across the placenta
T. cati is transmitted by eggs, paratenic hosts and transmammary transfer, but not transplacentally, in contrast with T. canis. The contrast is a favourite exam item.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
A four-week-old litter of pups in a warm climate is lethargic, with very pale mucous membranes and dark tarry faeces. Faecal flotation is negative. The most likely cause is:
D. Ancylostoma caninum acquired through the bitch's milk
Transmammary A. caninum can cause severe blood-loss anaemia before eggs appear, so a negative flotation does not exclude it. Toxocara causes pot belly and cough, not severe anaemia; Trichuris needs about three months to become patent.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
On a modified Knott's test, which feature indicates D. immitis rather than Acanthocheilonema reconditum microfilariae?
C. Tapered head and straight tail
D. immitis microfilariae are longer, with a tapered head and straight tail; A. reconditum has a blunt head and often a hooked tail. Neither is sheathed.
Further reading: Zajac et al., Veterinary Clinical Parasitology (9th ed.)
The intermediate host of Metastrongylus, the lungworm of pigs, is the:
C. Earthworm
Pigs are infected by eating earthworms carrying L3, so outdoor pigs that root are at risk. Snails and slugs serve Muellerius, Protostrongylus and Angiostrongylus.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
Copper oxide wire particles reduce Haemonchus in sheep and goats. The main caution in sheep is:
A. Risk of chronic copper toxicity
Sheep accumulate copper readily and are prone to copper poisoning; dose and dietary copper must be considered. The other cautions apply to other products.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
'Refugia' in anthelmintic resistance management means:
D. The part of the worm population not exposed to the drug at treatment
Refugia include free-living stages on pasture and worms in untreated animals; they dilute resistant survivors. Survivors of treatment are the opposite of refugia.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
New sheep arrive on a farm. The recommended quarantine treatment strategy is:
D. Treat with a combination of unrelated anthelmintic classes, hold off pasture until eggs clear, then turn onto contaminated pasture
Quarantine treatment aims to stop importing resistant worms. Turning treated animals onto contaminated (not clean) pasture lets any survivors be diluted by resident refugia.
Further reading: Taylor, Coop & Wall, Veterinary Parasitology (4th ed.)
Ten here, 35 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to National Veterinary Examination in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
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