Angiostrongylus vasorum
Encyclopedia
Angiostrongylus vasorum, also known as French heartworm, is a species of parasitic nematode
in the family Metastrongylidae
. It causes the disease canine angiostrongylosis in dogs.
Not much is known about the biology of this species.
s of Angiostrongylus vasorum are land slug
s, land snail
s and freshwater snails. Angiostrongylus vasorum shows little host specificity
in its intermediate host.
Natural definitive hosts are domestic dogs and various other carnivore
s include:
Angiostrongylus vasorum lives in the right ventricle
of the heart and the pulmonary artery
. The infection can be fatal in dogs.
Natural paratenic hosts can be frogs, lizards, mice, rats.
Experimental intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus vasorum include:
Other known experimental (only experimental?) hosts include:
Experimental definitive hosts of Angiostrongylus vasorum include:
) of Angiostrongylus vasorum is Western Europe (United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain).
Other known areas include
Larvae of the first stage were found in Australia, Argentina and Greece.
The area where this species is found is expanding.
It has also been reported from South America: Brazil and Colombia, but molecular analysis revealed that Angiostrongylus vasorum from Brazil has a different genotype
. Thus it is possible that it is a different species in Brazil and in elsewhere in South America.
, fenbendazole
and ivermectin have been used to treat dogs infected with canine angiostrongylosis, but there are no approved anthelmintics.
Nematode
The nematodes or roundworms are the most diverse phylum of pseudocoelomates, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 28,000 have been described, of which over 16,000 are parasitic. It has been estimated that the total number of nematode...
in the family Metastrongylidae
Metastrongylidae
Metastrongylidae is a family of nematodes.Genera in the family Metastrongylidae include:* Aelurostrongylus*Metastrongylus*Skrjabingylus...
. It causes the disease canine angiostrongylosis in dogs.
Not much is known about the biology of this species.
Description
These nematode worms are small and pinkish in color. The length is 14.0–20.5 mm. The width is 0.170-0.306 mm.Hosts
The natural intermediate hostIntermediate host
A secondary host or intermediate host is a host that harbors the parasite only for a short transition period, during which some developmental stage is completed. For trypanosomes, the cause of sleeping sickness, humans are the primary host, while the tsetse fly is the secondary host...
s of Angiostrongylus vasorum are land slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
s, land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
s and freshwater snails. Angiostrongylus vasorum shows little host specificity
Specificity
Specificity may refer to:* Being specific * Specificity , the proportion of negatives in a binary classification test which are correctly identified...
in its intermediate host.
- Arion ater - natural host
Natural definitive hosts are domestic dogs and various other carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s include:
- red foxRed FoxThe red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
Vulpes vulpes - pampas foxPampas FoxThe Pampas fox , also known as graxaim, sorro, Azara's fox, or Azara's zorro, is a medium sized zorro or "false" fox native to South American pampas and its range is through central South America in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil...
Pseudalopex gymnocerus - hoary foxHoary FoxThe hoary fox , also called the hoary zorro, is a species of zorro or "false" fox endemic to Brazil. Unlike many other foxes, it feeds primarily on small invertebrates such as insects.-Description:...
Pseudalopex vetulus - crab-eating foxCrab-eating FoxThe crab-eating fox , also known as the forest fox, wood fox, and the common fox, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America and which appeared during the Pliocene epoch...
Dusicyon thous - wolf Canis lupus
- coyoteCoyoteThe coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
Canis latrans - African desert fox Fennecus zerda
- European badger Meles meles
Angiostrongylus vasorum lives in the right ventricle
Right ventricle
The right ventricle is one of four chambers in the human heart. It receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium via the tricuspid valve, and pumps it into the pulmonary artery via the pulmonary valve and pulmonary trunk....
of the heart and the pulmonary artery
Pulmonary artery
The pulmonary arteries carry deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs. They are the only arteries that carry deoxygenated blood....
. The infection can be fatal in dogs.
Natural paratenic hosts can be frogs, lizards, mice, rats.
Experimental intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus vasorum include:
- Biomphalaria glabrataBiomphalaria glabrataBiomphalaria glabrata is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails....
- (experimental) - Biomphalaria tenagophilaBiomphalaria tenagophilaBiomphalaria tenagophila is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails....
- (experimental)
Other known experimental (only experimental?) hosts include:
- slugs: Arion vulgaris (referred as Arion lusitanicus), Arion hortensisArion hortensisArion hortensis, common name the "garden slug", "small striped slug" or "black field slug" is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae, the roundback slugs....
, Deroceras reticulatumDeroceras reticulatumDeroceras reticulatum, common names "grey field slug" and "grey garden slug", is a species of small air-breathing land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Agriolimacidae...
, Limax flavus, Laevicaulis alte. - land snails: Achatina fulica, Arianta arbustorumArianta arbustorumArianta arbustorum is a medium-sized species of land snail, sometimes known as the "copse snail", a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae.-Subspecies:Several subspecies are recognized by some authors:...
, Bradybaena similaris, Cepaea nemoralis, Cochlodina laminataCochlodina laminataCochlodina laminata is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae, the door snails.-Distribution:This species occurs in Europe.* Czech Republic* Bulgaria* Netherlands* Poland...
, Eceparypha physana, Helix pomatiaHelix pomatiaHelix pomatia, common names the Burgundy snail, Roman snail, edible snail or escargot, is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Helicidae...
, Helix aspersaHelix aspersaHelix aspersa, known by the common name garden snail, is a species of land snail, a pulmonate gastropod that is one of the best-known of all terrestrial molluscs. The species has been placed in the genus Helix, in all sources between 1774 and 1988 and in most sources until recently...
, Prosopeas javanicum, Subulina octonaSubulina octonaSubulina octona is a species of small, tropical, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Subulinidae.- Distribution :The native distribution of this species includes:* Caribbean* Cuba...
, Succinea putrisSuccinea putrisSuccinea putris is a species of small, air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Succineidae, the amber snails.-Distribution:Distribution: European-Siberian region.* Czech Republic - least concern * Germany...
. - freshwater snails: Biomphalaria pfeifferiBiomphalaria pfeifferiBiomphalaria pfeifferi is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.This snail is a medically important pest, because of transferring the disease schistosomiasis....
, PhysaPhysaPhysa is a genus of small, left-handed or sinistral, air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Physidae.These snails eat algae, diatoms and detritus.- Anatomy :...
sp.
Experimental definitive hosts of Angiostrongylus vasorum include:
- jackalJackalAlthough the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
Canis aureus - Arvicanthis niloticus, an African rat
Distribution
The native area (enzooticEnzootic
Enzootic is the non-human equivalent of endemic and means, in a broad sense, "belonging to" or "native to", "characteristic of", or "prevalent in" a particular geography, race, field, area, or environment; native to an area or scope....
) of Angiostrongylus vasorum is Western Europe (United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain).
Other known areas include
- Europe: Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Portugal
- Africa: Uganda
- Asia: Turkey and countries of the former USSR
- Northern America: Canada (Newfoundland), the United States
Larvae of the first stage were found in Australia, Argentina and Greece.
The area where this species is found is expanding.
It has also been reported from South America: Brazil and Colombia, but molecular analysis revealed that Angiostrongylus vasorum from Brazil has a different genotype
Genotype
The genotype is the genetic makeup of a cell, an organism, or an individual usually with reference to a specific character under consideration...
. Thus it is possible that it is a different species in Brazil and in elsewhere in South America.
Treatment
LevamisoleLevamisole
Levamisole is an anthelminthic and immunomodulator belonging to a class of synthetic imidazothiazole derivatives. It was discovered at Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1966...
, fenbendazole
Fenbendazole
Fenbendazole is a broad spectrum benzimidazole anthelmintic used against gastrointestinal parasites including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, the taenia species of tapeworms, pinworms, aelurostrongylus, paragonimiasis, strongyles and strongyloides and can be administered to sheep, cattle,...
and ivermectin have been used to treat dogs infected with canine angiostrongylosis, but there are no approved anthelmintics.
Further reading
- Ash L. R. (April 1970) "Diagnostic morphology of the third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, and Anafilaroides rostratus (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea)". Journal of Parasitology 56(2): 249. .
- Braga F. R., Carvalho R. O., Araujo J. M., Silva A. R., Araújo J. V., Lima W. S., Tavela A. O. & Ferreira S. R. (December 2009, online 16 February 2009) "Predatory activity of the fungi Duddingtonia flagrans, Monacrosporium thaumasium, Monacrosporium sinense and Arthrobotrys robusta on Angiostrongylus vasorum first-stage larvae". Journal of Helminthology , 83(4): 303-308 .
- Nicolle A. P., Chetboul V., Tessier-Vetzel D., Sampedrano C. C., Aletti E. & Pouchelon J.-L. (August 2006) "Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension due to Angiostrongylosus vasorum in a dog". Canadian Veterinary Journal 47(8): 792-795.
- Perry A. W., Hertling R. & Kennedy M. J. (July 1991) "Angiostrongylosis with disseminated larval infection associated with signs of ocular and nervous disease in an imported dog". Canadian Veterinary Journal 32(7): 430-431.
- Traversa D., Cesare A. Di & Conboy G. (2010). "Canine and feline cardiopulmonary parasitic nematodes in Europe: emerging and underestimated". Parasites & VectorsParasites & VectorsParasites & Vectors is a peer-reviewed open-access medical journal published by BioMed Central. The journal publishes articles on the biology of parasites, parasitic diseases, intermediate hosts, vectors and vector-borne pathogens. Parasites & Vectors was established in 2008 as a merger of Filaria...
3: 62. doi:10.1186/1756-3305-3-62.