207.354.0266 |
Harbor RoadVeterinary Hospital |
626 St. George Road,
South Thomaston, Maine |
(207)354-0266
www.harborroadvet.com
Heartworm Facts Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a fairly large worm, up to 14 inches long, that in adulthood lives in the heart and pulmonary arteries of an infected dog. Dogs acquire this infection through mosquito bites as mosquitoes readily pick up larval heartworms from infected dogs and carry them to new dogs. Some geographic areas have severe heartworm problems while other areas have virtually none. In order for the parasite to establish its presence in an area, the following conditions must be met:
When these conditions come together, an area becomes endemic for heartworm disease. The Adult Heartworm
When over 50 worms are present, the ventricle is completely full and the atrium, the chamber receiving blood from the rest of the body, begins to fill with worms. When over 100 worms are present, the entire right side of the heart is filled with worms and there is very little room for any blood to be pumped. This drastic phenomenon is called "Caval Syndrome" and most dogs do not survive it.
Microfilariae are released into the circulatory system in hopes that they will be slurped up by a mosquito taking a blood meal and carried to a new host. Microfilariae may live up to two years within the host dog in whom they were born. If, after this period, a mosquito has not picked them up, they die of old age. Microfilariae may also be transmitted across the placental barrier to unborn puppies if the mother dog is infected with heartworm. It is important to realize that such puppies will not develop adult heartworms or heartworm disease from these microfilariae; in order for a heartworm to reach adulthood, it must be passed through a mosquito.
Parasitic worms have 5 larval stages and are termed L1, L2, L3, etc. Heartworm microfilariae are first stage larvae: L1s. Note: Ivermectin, and milbemycin based heartworm preventives will kill microfilariae after prolonged use. Dogs on these heartworm preventives, even if infected with adult heartworms, will not test positive for microfilariae. Moxidectin based heartworm preventives (Advantage Multi®) and selamectin based heartworm preventives (Revolution®) will not reliably wipe out microfilariae; infected dogs who have received these products may or may not test positive.
So, let us continue to follow the young heartworm's development inside the mosquito who has taken it in with a blood meal. Within the mosquito's body, the microfilariae will develop to L2's and finally to L3's, the stage capable of infecting a new dog. How long this takes depends on the environmental conditions. In general, it takes a few weeks. A minimum environmental temperature of 57 degrees F is required throughout this period. The process goes faster in warmer weather.
When a dog is bitten by an infected mosquito, the L3 is not deposited directly into the dog's bloodstream. Instead, it is deposited in a tiny drop of mosquito "spit" adjacent to the mosquito bite. For transmission to occur there must be adequate humidity to prevent evaporation of this fluid droplet before the L3's can swim through the mosquito bite and into the new host. Once safely inside the new host, the L3 will spend the next week or two developing into an L4 within the host's skin. The L4 will live in the skin for three months or so until it develops to the L5 stage and is ready to enter the host's circulatory system. The L5, which is actually a young adult, migrates to the heart and out into the pulmonary arteries (if there is room) where it will mate, approximately 5 to 7 months after first entering the new host. Note: All commercially available heartworm preventives act by wiping out the freshly delivered L3's and the L4's living in the skin. The ivermectin products are also able to kill the younger L5's. |