This is the first post in a series of posts on Mosquito Borne Diseases. Today’s topic is on heartworm disease, online sources that I used can be found at the bottom of todays post. Please email if you have any questions on today’s topic.
Heartworms
So what is Heartworm Disease? Heartworm Disease is a potentially fatal disease in dogs that is contracted from mosquitoes (Heartwormdisease is not just a dog disease, other animals are susceptible as well; cats, wolves, coyotes, ferrets, foxes, sea lions and in rare instances humans. Although humans can contract the disease they do not make a good hosts, also there have been no documented cases of death from heartworms in humans.) The heartworm’s scientific name is Dirofilaria immitis,they live in the heart and pulmonary circuit of the circulatory system between the heart and lungs. Heartworms are classified as, thread like, round worms, they range in size and are generally about and 1/8th inch wide and between 3 inches and 14 inches long.
The life cycle of a heartworm begins when an adult female releases larva into the host’s bloodstream, the young larva are called microfilariae. The second stage of the life cycle begins when a mosquito feeds on an infected animal, this mosquito then becomes a vector for the microfilariae. The microffilariae then mature inside the mosquito over the next couple of weeks.  Once an infected mosquito feeds on a new host, the now mature microfilariae, are transferred during the females mosquito’s blood meal. The microfilariae then grow into adult heartworms over the next 6 months and the cycle is then completed. The adult heartworms can live in dogs for 5 or 6 years and cats for 2 to 3, this covers numorous mosquito seasons. One can easily see that with a large mosquito populaiton and a large host population the spread of heartworms can easily occur. Espessially when we remember that a female mosquito lives for about 100 days and looks for a blood meal daily.  This is why it is important to take preventative steps to protect your pets from the dangers of heartworms.
Signs of Heartworms develop over time, a recent infection may show no signs of the disease in your dog, but left untreated for a long period, you may see signs such as a mild persistent cough, weight loss, no desire to exercise and fatigue after mild exertion. Signs in cats differ from dogs in that you may see vomiting, gagging, rapid breathing and weight loss. It is best to consult your veterinarian if you suspect your pet is exhibiting signs of a heartworm infection.
Heartworms are found in pets all over the country, usually anywhere a high mosquito populations exist. To help reduce the mosquito population in your yard, Mosquito Squad offers seasonal Mosquito Squad Barrier Spray contracts and misting systems. Call or email us for details on how Mosquito Squad can assist you in reducing mosquito populations in your yard.
For more information on heartworms and to visit sources used for the post, please visit the following links.
Mosquito Squad of Greater DC
The Eastern North Carolina University Online Mosquito Library
http://core.ecu.edu/hhp/andersonal/Mosquito_Library/Heartworm.htm
All About Worms
http://www.allaboutworms.com/heartworms-in-humans
Heartworm Society
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