The parasite diagnosed by examining urine is:

• A. Anaplasma species
• B. Tritrichomonas species
• C. Dictyocaulus species
• D. Dioctophyma species

Answer: (D)

Examining urine can reveal parasites that shed eggs directly into the urinary tract. The giant kidney worm, Dioctophyma renale, lives in the kidney and releases eggs into the urine, so urinalysis or urine sediment examination can detect these eggs and diagnose the infection. This makes urine-based diagnosis a classic clue for Dioctophyma species.

The other organisms listed aren’t diagnosed this way: Anaplasma species are blood-borne bacteria typically identified by blood tests or serology; Tritrichomonas species is a protozoan usually diagnosed from fecal samples or mucosal swabs; Dictyocaulus species are lungworms diagnosed by fecal Baermann tests for larvae or other respiratory assessments.