ANGIOSTRONGYLUS VASORUM: WHY YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED AND WHAT TO DO

摘要

The French heartworm (Angiostrongylus vasorwn) is an emerging snail borne disease belonging to the superfamily of metastrongyloidea. Dogs, foxes, wolves (definitive hosts) and other related species can all be infected with this parasite through oral ingestion of infective third stage larvae (L3). The life cycle of A. vasorum is indirect, requiring snails or slugs as intermediate hosts, in which the first stage larvae (LI) excreted by definitive hosts develop into L3. A large number of gastropod species have the capability of being an intermediate host, which allows the parasite to establish itself into different geographical areas. Recently developed ELISAs (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays)1,2 were applied for epidemiological surveys and a new serological diagnostic test has been commercialized, which, in addition to copromicroscopic methods, has increased the diagnostic options to identify infections with this important and potentially fatal canine parasite.