Endoparasites

Question 1

Nematodes vs Cestodes?

Answer 1

Nematodes
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
- Heartworms
- Lungworms

Cestodes
- Tapeworms

Question 2

Toxacaracanis (canine roundworm)

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 2

1. yes
2. ingestion, placenta, milk
3. Dull coat, pot-bellied, diarrhoea with mucus
4. adult parasites in V+/F+ or eggs in faeces
5. antihelminthic- fenbendazole, milbemycin, moxidectin, piperazine, and pyrantel.
6. yes

Question 3

Toxocara cati (Feline roundworm)

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 3

1. Yes
2. milk or ingest
   intermediate hosts = invertebrates, rodents, birds
3. dull coat, pot bellied, pneumonia.
4. adult parasites in V+/F+ or eggs in faeces
5. anthelminthic- fenbendazole, milbemycin, moxidectin, piperazine, and pyrantel.
6. yes

Question 4

UncinariaStenocephala(Northern hookworm) - dogs and cats
1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 4

1. Only 3.75% of dogs in North England esp. Breeding/racing/hunt dogs. More prone in warm climates.
   2.ingestion (itself or paratenic host - eg Rodents), cutaneous
2. diarrhoea with heavy infections. Cutaneous signs - pads, interdigital skin
3. History (often poor husbandry), Tape strips, hair plucks, skin scrapes, biopsy, faecal flotation
4. anthelminthic, environment disinfection and removing faeces
5. Yes, cutaneous

Question 5

AncylostomaCaninum (hookworm) - Dogs

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 5

1. Rarely in UK - prefers warm and moist climates
2. Placenta, milk, skin penetration from soil, direct ingestion
3. More common in puppies/juveniles = anaemia, weakness, melena, anorexia, weight loss, poor growth, dermatitis
4. Faecal examination
5. Pyrantel amoate/embonate, iron supplementation. Clean environment
6. Yes – dermal larva migrans

Question 6

Trichuris vulpis (whipworm)- Dogs

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 6

1. rare
2. direct ingestion
3. haemorrhagic typhilitis/colitis, d+ with mucus and fresh blood, If severe - weight loss, dehydration, anaemia, death
4. Faecal flotation with centrifugation
5. Pyrantel pamoate, febantel, praziquantel, fenbendazolet
6. No

Question 7

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) - dogs and cats

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 7

1. not in UK (yet!)
2. Mosquitos
3. clog blood flow to lungs, liver and kidneys causing organ dysfunction. Obvious signs- soft, dry cough; shortness of breath; weakness; listlessness and loss of stamina
4. Serological testing, X-rays
5. Melarsomine, doxycycline – high risk of complications
6. No

Question 8

Aerulostrongylus abstrusus – feline lungworm

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 8

1. yes
2. Ingestion, transport hosts- mice, rodents, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, birds
3. chronic coughing, dyspnoea, open-mouth, sneezing, wheezing
4. faecal flotation, baermann. Pulmonary FNA – modified wright’s stain
5. fenbendazole + prednisolone, imidacloprid 10%/ moxidectin 1%
6. No

Question 9

Angiostrongylus vasorum (French heartworm) - dogs

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 9

1. Yes
2. intermediate host ingestion= snails, frogs
3. pneumonia, emphysema, thromboarteritis, coagulopathies, anaemia, melaena, hemoptysis
4. faeces, baermann test, serum antigen test
5. levamisole, fenbendazole, ivermectin, milbemycin, moxidectin +/- bronchodilators
6. No

Question 10

Oslerus osleri (canine lungworm)

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 10

1. No
2. milk, faecal ingestion
3. dry, non-productive cough- worse with exercise/excitement. Anorexia and weight loss.
4. larvae in bronchial washing or fresh faecal sampling
5. fenbendazole, ivermectin, thiabendazole
6. No

Question 11

Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid/Dog Tapeworm) - dogs and cats

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 11

1. no- few cases
2. ingestion- sheep are intermediate hosts
3. asymptomatic- occasionally causes alveolar echinococcosis
4. PM exam or antigen detection in faeces. PCR to identify parasites.
5. Praziquantel, albendazole- guarded prognosis
6. yes- causes cystic echinococcus - liver, lungs - can be life-threatening

Question 12

Diplidium caninum (tapeworm) - dogs and cats

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 12

1. yes (dogs=4-60%, cats= 1.8-52.7%)
2. flea and lice ingestion
   3.rare
3. direct examination of SI, identifying proglottids in faeces, eggs on fecal flotation- not very reliable
4. Praziquantel, epsiprantel, flea and louse control.
5. yes-occasionally- mild and very treatable.

Question 13

Taenia spp (tapeworm) - dogs and cats

1. Is it common?
2. Transmission of infection?
3. Symptoms?
4. How do we diagnose?
5. How do we treat?
6. Is it zoonotic?

Answer 13

1. yes
2. can be spread by rodents, horses, ruminants, rabbits,
3. perianal irritation, intestinal impactions
4. proglottids in faecal material, eggs on flotation, PCR
5. Praziquantel and espiprantel, fenbendazole
6. very low risk