In dogs, cats, and ferrets, heartworm disease causes severe lung disease, heart failure, organ damage, and death. Dirofilaria immitis, a parasitic worm, causes it. Mosquito bites disseminate the worms. The dog is the sole host, which implies that the worms grow, mate, and reproduce solely within the dog. The mosquito serves as an intermediate host, where the worms can live for a short period before becoming infective (able to cause heartworm disease). Adult worms live in infected animals’ hearts, lungs, and blood vessels. What is the heartworm’s life cycle? In…
Heartworm Disease: What You Should Know
