Trichostrongyloidea

Dictyocaulus
This genus, living in the bronchi of cattle, sheep,
horses and donkeys, is the major cause of
parasitic bronchitis in these hosts.
Hosts
Ruminants, horses and donkeys
Site
Trachea and bronchi
 Species
D. viviparus cattle & deer

D. filaria sheep & goats

D. arnfieldi donkeys & horses

 Identification
• The adults are thread like worms up to 8.0
cm in length.

• Their location in the trachea and bronchi

and their size are diagnostic.

• D. viviparus is the most pathogenic of the

three species
 Dictyocaulus viviparus
D. viviparus is the cause of parasitic bronchitis in
cattle, also known as
• husk
• hoose
• verminous pneumonia
• dictyocaulosis

• This disease is characterized by bronchitis and

pneumonia.
• The disease is prevalent in temperate areas with
high rain fall.
 Dictyocaulus viviparus
Cattle lung worm
Definitive Host Spectrum
• Cattle, buffalo, camel
Intermediate Host
None
Geographic Distribution
Worldwide, especially moist temperate regions
 Morphology

– Adults - males 4-5.5 cm, females 6-8 cm, threadlike,

white
– Eggs - larvated, 82-88 x 33-38 microns (seldom
seen in feces)
– Larvae - 300-360 microns (present in feces)
 Life cycle
• Larvated eggs are laid by females, may hatch in
the lungs but usually are coughed up, swallowed
and hatch in the alimentary tract.
• L 1 are usually found in feces and reach the
infective L 3 stage in 6 days or more when they
are dispersed with the feces and move up onto
the forage.
• Larvae (L 3 ) are ingested, penetrate the
intestinal wall and are carried via the lymphatic
vessels to the mesenteric lymph glands.
 Life cycle

• A molt takes place in these lymph glands,

then the larvae migrate via the lymph and
blood vessels to the lungs

• Larvae (L4) become arrested in the

capillaries and break into the air passages,
where they mature to L5 and adult

• Prepatent period - 22 days

 Pathogenesis
Site of Infection
• Lumen of trachea, bronchi, bronchioles
Pathogenesis/Clinical Signs
• Blockage of bronchioles with an eosinophilic
exudate
• Atelectasis and emphysema
• Severe damage to the epithelium of the trachea
and bronchi may be caused by inflammation
with neutrophils, macrophages, and eosinophils
 Pathogenesis
• Eosinophils secrete major basic protein (MBP)
which damages parasite membranes and is
toxic to normal tissue
• Pulmonary edema and 2nd bacterial infection
• Clinical signs - coughing, dyspnea, polypnea,
rapid loss of condition
• Once exposed, protective immunity is
established for the following year, but requires
consistent exposure for immunity to persist
Aspirated Dictyocaulus viviparus L1
surrounded by inflammatory cells
 Diagnosis

• Eggs and larvae in nasal discharge

• Finding L 1 in feces
• specific ELISA which demonstrates exposure
 Treatment
• Albendazole
• Fenbendazole
• Ivermectin, doramectin, eprinomectin
• Improvement should be observed after
approximately 24 hours
 Other Control Measures

• Immunization with x-irradiated L 3 is

commercially available and used in Europe
• Effective in highly endemic areas, doesn’t
work well where there is a low year-round
infectivity
• Shelf life of irradiated larvae is 3-6 months
Public Health Significance
• None
 Dictyocaulus arnfieldi
(LUNGWORM)
Definitive Host Spectrum
– Horse, mule, donkey, zebra
– Donkey is usually the source of infections in
horses and is the natural DH
Intermediate Host
– None
Geographic Distribution
– Worldwide
 Dictyocaulus arnfieldi
Morphology

– Adults - males up to 36 mm, females up to 60

mm
– Eggs - larvated, 80-l00 x 50-60 microns
 Life Cycle (Stages)

– Larvated eggs are coughed up, swallowed, passed

in feces, hatch within a few hours
– L 3 are the infective stage and are ingested
– Migration to the bronchi is via the lymph vessels
– Prepatent period
– 12 to 14 weeks in donkeys
– 6 to 8 weeks in horses
 Pathogenesis
Site of Infection
– Bronchi, bronchioles
Pathogenesis/Clinical Signs
– Generally nonpathogenic in donkeys, even with
heavy infections
– Clinical signs in horses include coughing, polypnea,
nasal discharge
 Diagnosis

– Eggs or L 1 in feces
– For horses with clinical signs described
above, co-grazing with donkeys is suggestive
of dictyocauliasis
 Treatment & control
Treatment
– Moxidectin
– Fenbendazole
– Ivermectin

Other Control Measures

– Graze donkeys and horses separately
Public Health Significance
– None
 (Dictyocaulus filaria (THREAD
LUNGWORM OF SHEEP
Definitive Host Spectrum
– Sheep, goats, some wild ruminants
Intermediate Host
– None
Geographical Distribution
– Worldwide, especially important in eastern
Europe and India
 Morphology

– Adults –thread like, males 3-8 cm, females 5-10 cm

long and fairly mobile
– Eggs - larvated, 112-138 x 69-90 microns
– Larvae - 550-580 microns long, with a cuticular
knob at the anterior end, contains dark food
granules
 Life Cycle (Stages)

– Larvated eggs are laid by females, may hatch

in the lungs but usually are coughed up,
swallowed and hatch in the alimentary tract
– L 1 are usually found in feces and reach the
infective L 3 stage in 6 days or more when
they are dispersed with the feces and move
up onto the forage
– Larvae (L 3 ) are ingested, penetrate the
intestinal wall and are carried via the
lymphatic vessels to the mesenteric lymph
glands
 Life Cycle
– A molt takes place in these lymph glands,
then the larvae migrate via the lymph and
blood vessels to the lungs
– Larvae (L4) become arrested in the capillaries
and break into the air passages, where they
mature to L5 and adult
– Prepatent period - about 4 weeks
 Pathogenesis
Site of Infection
– Mucosa of trachea, bronchi, bronchioles
Pathogenesis/Clinical Signs
– Catarrhal bronchitis, with exudate passing
back into the alveoli, causing atelectasis or
pneumonia
– 2nd bacterial infections and more extensive
areas of pneumonia
– Clinical signs - dyspnea, polypnea, cough,
mucous exudate from the nostrils, abnormal
lung sounds on auscultation
 Diagnosis & Treatment
Diagnosis
– Usually by finding larvae (L 1 ) in feces by use
of Baermann technique
– Eggs may be found in nasal discharge or
sputum, but their absence is insignificant
Treatment
– Levamisole
– Ivermectin
– eprinomectin
– benzimidazoles