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
  • 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