Companion Animal Lungworm

Question 1

Which lungworm affects horses?

Answer 1

Dictyocaulus Arnifieldi

Question 2

Which lungworms affect the dog?

Answer 2

• Angiostrongylus vasorum

- Filaroides (Oslerus) Osleri

Question 3

Which lungworm affects the cat?

Answer 3

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus

Question 4

Where is adult dictyocaulus arnfieldi found? Clinical signs?

Answer 4

• horses smaller bronchi

> chronic cough

Question 5

Pathogenicity of d. arnfieldi?

Answer 5

• raised areas over-inflated pulmonary tissue (surrounding small bronchus, containing worms and mucopurulent exudate)
• hyperplastic bronchial epithelium
• pericbronchial cuffing

Question 6

Diagnosis of equine lungworm?

Answer 6

> clinical signs
grazing hx (donkey contact/shared grazing)
feacal exam only detects patent infection (= v small proportion of equine infections)
- process immediately (McMaster method, embryonated egg)
- process later (BAerman technique, L1, tail spine)
trach wash (large eosinophils)
response to anthelmintic tx (retrospective dx)

Question 7

Control of equine lungworm? (D. Arnfieldi)

Answer 7

• do not keep on pastures grazed by donkeys

- tx donkeys with appropriate anthelmintics in spring eg. Ivermectin

Question 8

What type of worm is angiostrongylus vasorum?

Answer 8

• typical metastrongyle nematode
• indirect lifecycle (slugs and snails)
• adult worms 2cm, in pulmonary aa. and RHS heart

Question 9

Clnical significance/pathogenesis of angiostrongylus vasorum?

Answer 9

• Cardiorespiratory signs
• Coagulopathies
• Neurological signs

Question 10

CLinical signs of angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs?

Answer 10

> chronic condition, 3 syndromes

• CV-resp signs in young dogs (chronic cough, excercise intolerance due to bv blockage)
• coagulopathies (subcut haematomas, internal haemorrhage eg. sclera and retinas, prolonged bleeding due to thrombocytopaenia and v clotting factors)
• neuro signs (paresis, behavioural changes, ataxia, loss of vision, seizures due to CNS haemorrhage)

Question 11

What will be seen on rads with a. vasorum?

Answer 11

peripheral lung lobe lesions - bronchial and peribronchial infiltrate

Question 12

How may angiostrongylus vasorum be diagnosed from body fluid samples?

Answer 12

• Baerman technique of feaces and sputum for larvae L1
  BUT
  > larval recovery unreliable
  > long PPP 6-10 weeks
  > intermittent egg production by adults (collect 3d of samples)

Question 13

How can a. vasorum be diagnosed using bloods?

Answer 13

• hypochromic anaemia
• eosiniophils
• coagulopathy test
• ELISA serology (eg. AngioDetect)

Question 14

How can A. vasorum be diagnosed PM?

Answer 14

• adult worms
• lungs mottled reddish purple
• subcut haematoma
• larger bv endoartitis -> fibrosis
• R ventricle endocarditis -> tricuspid vlave

Question 15

Tx of angiostrongylus?

Answer 15

> 2 anthelmintics licensed in UK for dogs
- Moxidectin (advocate) single dose prevents infection for 1 month
- Milbemycin (milbemax) weekly for 4 weeks
off label
- Fenbendazole (panacur) daily 1-3 weeks
monitor tx, repeat if necesary
tx early during lifecycle minimises pathological dmage
supportive tx (fluid tx, blood, bronchodilators, oxygen, abx)

Question 16

Control of a. vasorum?

Answer 16

• regular anthelmintic tx based on risk assessment
• control IH (not really possible!)
• public education

Question 17

What type of worm is Filaroides (Oslerus) osleri? where do adult worms live and how are they transmitted?

Answer 17

ATYPICAL metastrongyloid nematode

• direct lifecycle
• adult worms live in tracheal nodules
• transmission bitch to puppy during grooming

Question 18

CLinical significance of filaroides (oslerus) osleri?

Answer 18

• may be asymptomatic
• may have dry debilitating cough
  > often associated with breeding kennels

Question 19

Dx of filaroides osleri?

Answer 19

• difficult!
  > Baerman technique to recover L1 (distnictive dorsal indentation) BUT]
• L sluggish and low numbers so few picked up
  > endoscopy
• tracheal nodules

Question 20

Tx of filaroides osleri?

Answer 20

• Fenbendazole (panacur)

licensed, 50mg/kg SID for 7d

Question 21

Are cats commonly infected with lungworm? Which worm?

Answer 21

• not common

- Aelurostrongylus abstrusus

Question 22

What type of worm is Aelurostrongylus abstrusus? Where do adult worms live?

Answer 22

Typical metastrongyloid nematode

• indirect lifecycle (slugs, snails)
• adults live in lung parenchyma and small bronchioles

Question 23

Clinical significance of Aelurostrongylus?

Answer 23

• may be asymptomatic

- may cause serious respiratory problems

Question 24

Pathogenesis and diagnosis of aelurostrongylus? Prognosis?

Answer 24

• often asymptomatic
• severe resp problems may be seen with immunocompromised cats (poor prog)
  > feacal exam (Baerman technique for L1)
  > PM greenish nodules in lnungs
  > histopath to differentiate from TB!

Question 25

Tx of aelurostrongylus abstrusus?

Answer 25

• fenbendazole (panacur)

- licensed 50mg/kg SID 3d

Question 26

Which respiratory parasites other than lungworm affect the horse? *most common

Answer 26

• *parascaris equorum(migrating larvae)

- echinococcus granulosus (hydatid cysts)

Question 27

Which respiratory pathogens other than lungworm affect the dog? *most common

Answer 27

• *toxocara canis (migrating L)
• *toxascaris leonina (migrating L)
• Crenosoma vulpis (fox lungworm)
• Filaroides spp. (dog lungworm - parenchyma)
• Lingualata serrata (tongue worm)
• pneumonyssus caninum (nasal mite)

Question 28

Which respiratory pathogens other than lungworm affect the cat? *most common

Answer 28

• *toxocara cati (migrating L)
• *toxascaris leonina (migrating L)
• linguatula serrata (tongue worm)