Difference between revisions of "Angiostrongylus vasorum"
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| − | === '''' | + | {{unfinished}} |
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| + | {| cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" border="1" | ||
| + | | Also known as: | ||
| + | | '''Haemostrongylus vasorum | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Scientific Classification=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | {| cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" border="1" | ||
| + | | Kingdom | ||
| + | | Animalia | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Phylum | ||
| + | | Nematoda | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Class | ||
| + | | Secernentea | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Order | ||
| + | | Strongylida | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Family | ||
| + | | Metastrongylidae | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Genus | ||
| + | | Angiostrongylus | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | Species | ||
| + | | '''A. vasorum''' | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
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*Infects dogs and foxes. | *Infects dogs and foxes. | ||
*A typical metastrongyloid, with the adult worms living in the pulmonary arteries and the right side of the heart. | *A typical metastrongyloid, with the adult worms living in the pulmonary arteries and the right side of the heart. | ||
Revision as of 18:59, 19 July 2010
 |
This article is still under construction. |
| Also known as: | Haemostrongylus vasorum |
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Nematoda |
| Class | Secernentea |
| Order | Strongylida |
| Family | Metastrongylidae |
| Genus | Angiostrongylus |
| Species | A. 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).
- Adult worms live in the pulmonary arteries and right side of the heart dogs and foxes
- Cause a proliferative endoarteritis
- More severe damage is caused however by eggs lodging in arterioles and capillaries
- In severe infection, this can result in pneumonia and pulmonary oedema as an acute syndrome
- Circulatory impedance can result in congestive cardiac failure
- Particularly a problem if dogs eats snails
- Gross:
- Patchy white appearance with haemorrhagic areas within
- Microscopically:
- Golden pigment within macrophages (haemosiderin)
- Inflammation and scarring of alveolar walls -> enlargement of remaining air spaces
- Worms secrete anticoagulant -> haemorrhage in other parts of body
- May present as neurological cases due to the haemorrhage
- May cause pulmonary thromboembolism