Filaroides osleri

Also known as:

Dog lungworm Osterus osleri

Scientific Classification

Class	Nematoda
Superfamily	Metastrongyloidea

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 Metastrongyloidea. 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 then 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