Protostrongylus rufescens
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Protostrongylus species
Life-Cycles
- Indirect life-cycle involving mollusc intermediate hosts
- L1 passed in faeces, penetrate foot of mollusc, develop to L3 in 2-3 weeks
- Infected mollusc ingested with grass
- L3 released by digestion and travel to lungs by lymphatic route
- Adults found in alveoli/parenchyma (Muellerius) or small bronchioles (Protostrongylus)
- Prepatent period 6-10 weeks (Muellerius), 5-6 weeks (Protostrongylus)
Epidemiology
- High prevalence because of wide range of intermediate hosts, prolonged survival of larvae in faeces, long periods of patency (>2 years) and poor host immunity
- Protostrongylus spp. can block bronchioles in sheep
- Adult worms block small bronchioles resulting in accumulation of eggs, larvae and cellular debri distal to the blockage
- Lesions resemble Dictyocaulus filaria but are fewer in numbers, lobular and at periphery of caudal lobes, they are very similar to Muellerius capillaris lesions