FILARIASIS

1
FILARIASIS

• Agents
• Nematodes
• Long thread-like worms
• Zoonotic
• Dirofilaria immitis - Canine (and feline)
  heartworm disease
• D. repens - dogs and cats in Europe

2
FILARIASIS

• Non-zoonotic
• Wuchereria bancrofti - ubiquitous in warm
  tropical regions
• Brugia malayi, Brugia timori - Asia, Indonesia
• Loa loa - Africa
• Onchocerca volvulus - Africa
• Mansonella perstans - W. Africa
• Mansonella ozzardi - Latin America

3
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - distribution

4
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - US prevalence

5
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - life cycle

6
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - pathology
• microfilaria in blood smear

7
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - pathology
• adult heartworms

8
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis - pathology
• adult heartworms in canine heart

9
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis in humans
• transmitted by bite of mosquito
• microfileremia rarely occurs
• unable to complete cycle in host
• usually dies and embolizes to lung

10
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis in humans
• pulmonary disease
• adult lodges in pulmonary artery causing occlusal
  type of damage
• chest pain, cough, hemoptysis
• appears as nodule on chest x-ray, removed to rule
  out malignancy

11
FILARIASIS

• D. immitis in humans
• cutaneous disease
• can be cause by other species in US (D. uris from
  bears and D. tenuis from raccoons)
• development or migration to conjunctiva and other
  subcutaneous tissues
• local pain, redness leading to need for excision