VPA 211: General Veterinary Parasitology and Helminthology (3+1)

PATHOGENESIS

• Mild infection causes no clinical signs . where as heavy infection causes circulatory distress due to mechanical interference.
• Presence of large number of worms in the heart will interfere with the function of the cardiac valves.
• Heartworm primarily causes pulmonary circulatory disturbances leads to pulmonary hypertension due to narrowing of pulmonary peripheral artery.
• Compensatory hypertropy of right ventricle results in "congestive heart failure", liver failure syndrome and peripheral oedema.