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A mosquito bites an infected dog that just happens to have heartworm larvae in the correct stage to enter the mosquito's mouth. These are microfilaria, and they develop in the mosquito for the next ten to 48 days into infective larvae. Then the larvae travel to the mosquito's mouth parts, enabling it to infect the next dog it bites.... more »
Heartworm disease is a deadly but avoidable condition caused by parasitic worms that attach to your dog or cat's lungs. The disease is spread through infected mosquito bites, and animals in all 50 states are susceptible to infection. Heartworm can fester and reproduce for up to seven years in dogs. Signs your dog may be infected... more »
Heartworm is one of the most common parasites infecting domestic canine companions. If a dog becomes infested with heartworm, he can become gravely ill and treatment can be very costly. Preventing heartworm infestation is a much simpler alternative than treating the disease, and can be done for just pennies a day. more »
Heartworm is a potentially serious disease that mainly inflicts dogs, but is also seen in cats, wolves and coyotes. It is spread by mosquitos and can cause serious heart and lung problems in an infected animal. As a pet owner, it is your job to protect your dog from this dangerous disease. Luckily, it is very easy to prevent heartworm... more »
Heartworm affect thousands of dogs in North America, particularly in the spring and summer seasons. Keeping an eye out for symptoms of heartworm, having your veterinarian perform heartworm tests on your dog, and feeding your pet a heartworm a preventative are vital in securing your pet's health. more »
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Heartworm infection in your pets can prove deadly. When your cat or dog contracts heartworm, the parasites multiply and infest the animal's heart.... more »
Heartworm is a potentially fatal condition that affects mammals, including household pets such as cats and dogs. Parasitic worms occupy the lung... more »
Mosquitoes spread heartworm disease. Animals infected by heartworms have millions of baby heartworms (microfilaria) in their blood. When a... more »
Heartworm pills are vitally important to your dog's health. Heartworm pills prevent heartworms from infesting your dog's heart, which eventually... more »
Heartworm is a parasite that attacks the respiratory system of an animal. It occurs when a mosquito that carries the parasite bites an animal. The... more »
Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes. The heartworm is a type of filaria, a small thread-like worm. The definitive host is the dog but it can also infect cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes and other animals, such as ferrets, sea lions and even, under very rare circumstances, humans.http://www.heartwormsociety.org/article.asp?id11 The parasite is commonly called "heartworm" because the adult reproductive stage of its life cycle resides primarily in the right ventricle of its host where it can live for many years. Heartworm infection may result in serious disease for the host.
History of the disease
The first published evidence of disease in the dog in the United States was in The Western Journal of Medicine and Surgery in 1847. Feline heartworm was first described in the 1920s.AHSgen>
Distribution
Although at one time confined to the southern United States, heartworm has now spread to nearly all locations where its vector, the mosquito, is found. Transmission of the parasite occurs in all of the United States (except Alaska) and the warmer regions of Canada. The highest infection rates are found within 150 miles of the coast from Texas to New Jersey, and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries.Ettinger_1995> It has also been found in South America, southern Europe,Merck> Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Japan.Ettinger_1995/>
Course of infection
Heartworms go through several life stages before they become adults infecting the heart of the host animal. The worms require the mosquito as an intermediate stage in order to complete their life cycle. Development in the mosquito is temperature dependent, requiring approximately two weeks of temperature at or above 27 °C (80 °F). Below a threshold temperature of 14 °C (57 °F), development cannot occur, and the cycle will be halted."Knight 1998"> As a result, transmission is limited read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirofilaria+immitis
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