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| Also known as: | 'Dog lungworm Osterus osleri |
| Filaroides osleri | |
|---|---|
| Class | Nematoda |
| Super-family | |
Hosts
Dog
Identification
The adults are pale, thin worms. The female is larger than the male, at around 9-15mm in length.
Life Cycle
This is a direct life cycle, so forms the exception in the superfamily. The females are ovo-viviparous. The eggs are laid, and hatch within the trachea. They then transform into the larvae, which are coughed up and swallowed. They enter the intestine, and are past out in the faeces.
The bitch may transfer the larvae to the pup during grooming, or infection may come about via digestion of the larvae. The larvae mature and travel to the lungs.
The prepatent period is 10-18 weeks.
References
Taylor, M.A, Coop, R.L., Wall,R.L. (2007) Veterinary Parasitology Blackwell Publishing