Difference between revisions of "Angiostrongylus vasorum"

Revision as of 21:55, 25 June 2010

ANGIOSTRONGYLUS VASORUM

Infects dogs and foxes.
A typical metastrongyloid, with the adult worms living in the pulmonary arteries and the right side of the heart.

Life-Cycle

Adults (approximately 2cm), produce anticoagulants to reduce thrombus formation leading to coagulation disorders:

→ eggs laid into pulmonary arteries

→ trapped in lung capillaries

→ larvae (with merastrongyloid kinky tail) hatch out

→ alveoli (causing a small injury)

→ trachea

→ swallowed

→ passed in faeces

→ slug (intermediate host)

→ eaten by dog or fox (final hosts)

→ larvae migrate via mesenteric lymph nodes

→ blood stream

→ heart.

Epidemiology

Once restricted to Southern Ireland and Cornwall, this lungworm is spreading across the British Isles and is now endemic in the South-East. The fox may act as a reservoir of infection.

Angiostrongylosis

Clinical signs of angiostrongylosis are associated with:
- accumulating lung damage caused by eggs and larvae (respiratory distress)
- coagulation disorders caused by adult worms (bruising, haematomas, e.g. in spinal cord)
Diagnosis: demonstration of large numbers of L1 in faeces (with Barmann technique).

Treatment of Lungworms in Dogs and Cats

Angiostrongylus vasorum is easy to treat with suitable anthelmintics, but the others require high daily doses of benzimidazoles for 3-7days.
Two or more courses of treatment may be necessary (with a rest period between each).

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{OpenPagesTop}}
+=== '''''ANGIOSTRONGYLUS VASORUM''''' ===
-{{Taxobox
+*Infects dogs and foxes.
-|name               =''Angiostrongylus vasorum
+*A typical metastrongyloid, with the adult worms living in the pulmonary arteries and the right side of the heart.
-|kingdom            =Animalia
-|phylum             =[[:Category:Nematodes|Nematoda]]
-|class              =Secernentea
-|sub-class          =
-|order              =Strongylida
-|super-family       =[[:Category:Metastrongyloidea|Metastrongyloidea]]
-|family             =[[:Category:Angiostrongylidae|Angiostrongylidae]]
-|sub-family         =
-|genus              =Angiostrongylus
-|species            ='''''A. vasorum'''''
-}}
-Also known as: '''''Haemostrongylus vasorum
+==== Life-Cycle ====
+Adults (approximately 2cm), produce anticoagulants to reduce thrombus formation leading to coagulation disorders:
-==Hosts==
+→ eggs laid into pulmonary arteries
-'''Definitive host''': Dogs and foxes.
-'''Intermediate host''': Mainly snails and slugs.
+→ trapped in lung capillaries
-It exists mainly in Western Europe - not established in the USA.
+→ larvae (with merastrongyloid kinky tail) hatch out
-==Identification==
+→ alveoli (causing a small injury)
-''Angiostrongylus vasorum'' is a parasite of the family [[Angiostrongylidae]].  The adults are slender, and measure around 2cm in length.  The males have a small bursa.
-==Life Cycle==
+→ trachea
-The adults are ovo-viviparous.  The adults lay eggs in the pulmonary arteries.  The eggs then hatch in the capillaries.  The first stage larvae migrate into the alveoli and then the trachea.  They are swallowed, enter the intestinal system and are then passed in the faeces.  The intermediate host then becomes infected, which later infects the definitive host.
-The larvae then develop in the definitive host, and migrate via the mesenteric lymph nodes, and the blood where they affect the heart, primarily the right ventricle.
+→ swallowed
-Adults establish within the pulmonary arterial tree and can lead to pulmonary thrombosis  and pulmonary hypertension. The clinical disease is '''[[Angiostrongylosis]]'''.
+→ passed in faeces
-{{Learning
+→ slug (intermediate host)
-|literature search = [http://www.cabdirect.org/search.html?rowId=1&options1=AND&q1=%22Angiostrongylus+vasorum%22&occuring1=title&rowId=2&options2=AND&q2=&occuring2=freetext&rowId=3&options3=AND&q3=&occuring3=freetext&x=57&y=11&publishedstart=yyyy&publishedend=yyyy&calendarInput=yyyy-mm-dd&la=any&it=any&show=all ''Angiostrongylus vasorum'' publications]
-|Vetstream = [https://www.vetstream.com/canis/search?s=nematode Nematodes]
-}}
+→ eaten by dog or fox (final hosts)
-{{review}}
+→ larvae migrate via mesenteric lymph nodes
-{{OpenPages}}
+→ blood stream
-[[Category:Angiostrongylidae]][[Category:Dog_Nematodes]]
-[[Category:Expert_Review]]
+→ heart.
+==== Epidemiology ====
+Once restricted to Southern Ireland and Cornwall, this lungworm is spreading across the British Isles and is now endemic in the South-East. The fox may act as a reservoir of infection.
+=== Angiostrongylosis ===
+*Clinical signs of angiostrongylosis are associated with:
+**accumulating lung damage caused by eggs and larvae (respiratory distress)
+**coagulation disorders caused by adult worms (bruising, haematomas, e.g. in spinal cord)
+*Diagnosis: demonstration of large numbers of L1 in faeces (with Barmann technique).
+=== Treatment of Lungworms in Dogs and Cats ===
+*''Angiostrongylus vasorum'' is easy to treat with suitable anthelmintics, but the others require high daily doses of benzimidazoles for 3-7days.
+*Two or more courses of treatment may be necessary (with a rest period between each).
+[[Category:Metastrongyloidea]][[Category:Dog_Nematodes]][[Category:To_Do_-_Parasites]]