PARASITOS Y ENFERMEDADES PARASITARIAS
DE LOS ANIMALES DOMESTICOS

párasitos del corazón - Host Range

Host Species

In addition to the domestic dog, many other species can act as alternate hosts for Dirofilaria immitis. These species, known as alternate hosts, will also maintain blood levels of circulating microfilaria sufficiently high to act as reservoirs of infections for mosquito intermediate hosts.  Examples of  alternate hosts include:

Alternate Hosts for Dirofilaria immitis

red wolf coyote California sea lion* grey fox wolverine* domestic and wild felids* red fox ferret*

*Although these species may constitute microfilaremic reservoirs, the length of the microfilaremia is  brief  compared to the other species.

Other vertebrates may act as aberrant or dead end hosts. These species may become infected from the bite of a vector mosquito. However,  they do not develop a microfilaremia because migrating Dirofilaria fail to reach sexual maturity.  Examples of these include:

Aberrant Hosts for Dirofilaria immitis

humans bears raccoons beavers

 

Parásitos y enfermedades parasitarias de los animales domésticos
Dr. Colin Johnstone (autor principal)
Derechos de copia © Universidad de Pennsylvania