| Summary Information |
| Diseases /
List of Parasitic Diseases
/ Disease summary |
| Alternative Names |
- Kidney worm
infection
- Giant kidney worm infection
|
| Disease Agents |
Dioctophyma
renale (Eustrongylus gigas), kidney worm or giant kidney worm. (B22.32.w15,
B465.VIII.w8,
J345.3.w2)
- Viable eggs are passed in the urine of the definitive host and
ingested by oligochaete annelid worms. Both frogs and fish are paratenic
hosts and carnivores become infected when they eat these. (B22.32.w15)
|
| Infectious
Agent(s) |
-- |
| Non-infectious
Agent(s) |
-- |
| Physical
Agent(s) |
--
|
| General Description |
- There is a single report of the kidney worm Dioctophyma renale
being found free in the abdominal cavity of a bear [species not
specified]. (B465.VIII.w8)
|
| Further Information |
- The definitive host of Dioctophyma renale is the mink. This
work has been found in various other carnivores such as the Canis lupus - Wolf,
Canis latrans - Coyote, maned wolf (Crysocyon brachyurus)
(Canidae - Dogs, foxes (Family)), grey fox,
Procyon lotor
- Common Raccoon, Nasua nasua - Coati, and various
mustelids (Mustelidae - Weasels (Family)). (B22.32.w15)
- The worms are usually found in the right kidney but in wolves have
been found in other sites in the abdomen. (B22.32.w15)
- In dogs, this worm is generally found only in the abdominal cavity.
Males are 25-30 cm long, females are 35-102 cm long. Usually, single worms
are found. They cause a chronic peritonitis, with brown or greenish
odourless adhesive fibrinous exudate (containing both mononuclear and
polynuclear leucocytes), and adhesions between the greater omentum and the
liver, spleen and pancreas. Despite this, usually there are few clinical
signs. (B465.VIII.w8)
Treatment
- There is no known medical treatment. (B22.32.w15)
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| Associated Techniques |
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| Host taxa groups /species |
Further information on Host species has only
been incorporated for species groups for which a full Wildpro "Health and
Management" module has been completed (i.e. for which a comprehensive literature
review has been undertaken).
(List does not contain all other species groups affected by this
infectious agent)
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