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heartworm
(redirected from Dirofilariasis)

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heartworm

Species (Dirofilaria immitis) of filarial worm that parasitizes mammals, especially dogs. Up to 500 adult heartworms, which can grow to 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) long, live in the dog's heart, and the microfilariae (embryonic larvae) pass into the blood. Mosquitoes transfer infested blood from dog to dog. Both adult and larval heartworms tax the heart and restrict blood flow to the lungs, kidneys, and liver. By the time visible symptoms (chronic cough, labored breathing, listlessness, heart failure) develop, it may be too late for treatment. Preventive medicines and treatments, including surgery, exist.



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Heartworm - also known as Dirofilariasis, this despicable little worm plies its trade in Southern Europe, USA, Canada and Asia.
We report 14 cases of human subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens, diagnosed from February 2003 through July 2004, in patients from Rostov-on-Don, Russia.
Dashiell (1) reported the first documented pulmonary infarction associated with Dirofilaria in 1961, and Goodman and Gore (2) reported the first report of pulmonary infarct associated with human dirofilariasis in 1964.
 
 
 
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