Difference between revisions of "Angiostrongylus vasorum"

Revision as of 14:48, 30 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).

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

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 *''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 [[Lungs Circulatory - Pathology|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 [[Lungs Inflammatory - Pathology#Infectious causes of pneumonia|pneumonia]] and [[Lungs Circulatory - Pathology#Pulmonary oedema|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 [[Lungs Circulatory - Pathology#Embolism, thrombosis and infarction|pulmonary thromboembolism]]
 [[Category:Metastrongyloidea]][[Category:Dog_Nematodes]][[Category:To_Do_-_Parasites]]