Lungworm Research Paper

Many times, when lungworms are discussed, they are only discussed in the terms of how they affect dogs. Rarely do we focus on the effect of lungworms in livestock and how they can cause detriments to our livestock quality of life or economic benefits. Lungworm, a form of parasitic bronchitis, is an infection of the respiratory tract caused by the nematode, dictyocaulus viviparus. The species that is mainly affected by this disease is cattle, however, it can affect other species like deer. Within the bovine species, the dairy cattle are most likely to develop this disease. Similarly, the autumn-born beef cattle is just as prone to getting the disease. Least susceptible to the disease are the spring-born beef cattle. The animals become infected
The eggs are first coughed up and swallowed then hatch as they are passing through the animal's digestive tract. The larvae then are excreted from the animal's body into fresh feces where they are able to feed and utilize fungus while they are in their pre-parasitic stages. Once they are ingested, the larvae, now in parasitic stages, penetrate the intestine wall and pass to the mesenteric lymph nodes where they moult. From here they can reach the lungs from the lymph and ultimately the blood stream. Once they reach the capillaries, they can reach the alveoli within one week post infection. Once they have moved into the lungs, they moult again and turn into mature adults about three to four weeks post infection. The diagnosis is made by identifying the clinical signs, evaluating the time of year, and looking at a history of the grazing of the pasture. The diagnosis can be confirmed by detecting the larvae in the fecal samples and inspecting and examining it for eggs and larvae. Once the diagnosis is made, there is a good chance that the cattle will be treated. It is recommended that they are treated as soon as possible, because if the animal is already severely affected, they may not respond or the larvae may be dead or dying and blocking the lower airways and alveoli. Once the cattle are diagnosed, they should be removed from the herd and the infected pasture and transferred to clean pasture if available. The cattle can be treated wormers (anthelmintics), antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories. The best way to prevent lungworm infection is to have your cattle vaccinated. Vaccination uses live lungworm larvae to cause a controlled infection. Another way to prevent the infection of a your cattle is to keep the pasture that they are grazing in clean and dry. Then if one animal seems infected, to prevent further infection, separate the animal from the