PARASITOLOGY - Heartworm Flashcards
Which nematode is the most common cause of heartworm in dogs?
Dirofilaria Immitis
What type of lifecycle does dirofilaria immitis have?
Indirect lifecycle
What is the most susceptible final host to dirofilaria immitis?
Dogs
What is the intermediate host of dirofilaria immitis?
Mosquito
What is the infective stage of the dirofilaria immitis lifecycle?
L3 larvae
Describe the lifecycle of dirofilaria immitis
- Mosquito ingests microfilaria during a blood meal
- Microfilaria develop into L3 larvae within the mosquito
- Mosquitos feed on another blood meal and transmit the L3 larvae into the bloodstream of the final host
- L3 develop into L4 larvae within the subcutaneous tissue
- L4 larvae migrate through the tissues where they develop into juveniles
- Juveniles migrate to the right side of the heart and develop into adults
- Adult dirofilaria immitis produce microfilaria which will be released into the bloodstream
What is the optimal temperature required for the development of dirofilaria immitis microfilaria into L3 larvae in the mosquito?
18°C
What is the pre-patent period (PPP) of dirofilaria immitis?
Six months
(T/F) The pathogenesis of dirofilaria immitis is dependent on the number of dirofilaria immitis adult worms
TRUE.
What are the five possible consequences of a heavy dirofilaria immitis infection?
Right-sided congestive heart failure
Pulmonary arterial thrombosis
Vena caval syndrome
Endocarditis
Glomerulonephritis
What is vena caval syndrome?
Vena cava syndrome is the partial or complete blockage of the vena cavae
How does a heavy dirofilaria immitis infection cause glomerulonephritis?
Female dirofilaria immitis adult worms produce antigens, stimulating the host immune system to form antigen-antibody complexes which can be deposited into the glomerulus, causing glomerulonephritis
What are the four clinical signs of a dirofilaria immitis infection?
Exercise intolerance
Gradual loss of body condition
Chronic soft cough
Cardiovascular dysfunction
What are the six methods which can be used to diagnose dirofilaria immitis?
Assess clinical signs
History
Radiography
Echocardiography
Detection of microfilariae in the blood
ELISA
What can lead to a false negative when detecting dirofilaria immitis microfilariae in the blood?
Dogs can have a occult infection where they have adult dirofilaria immitis worms but there are no microfilariae in the blood