Capillaria aerophila
| Capillaria aerophila | |
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Capillaria aerophila in the trachea of a fox |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Nematoda |
| Class: | Adenophorea |
| Subclass: | Enoplia |
| Order: | Trichurida |
| Family: | Capillariidae |
| Genus: | Capillaria |
| Species: | C. aerophila |
| Binomial name | |
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Capillaria aerophila (Creplin, 1839) |
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Capillaria aerophila is a nematode parasite found in the respiratory tract of foxes,dogs, and various other carnivorous mammals. A few cases of human infestation have also been reported. Though it is sometimes called a "lungworm", this term usually refers to other species of nematodes. Infestation by C. aerophila is referred to as "pulmonary capillariasis" (occasionally spelled "capillariosis), "bronchial capillariasis," or (rarely) "thominxosis." This parasite has a direct life cycle, meaning that the life cycle can be completed in a single host. C. aerophila usually causes only minor clinical symptoms, such as irritation of the respiratory tract and coughing. However, secondary bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, including pneumonia, may develop in heavy infestations. Treatment with anthelmintics, such as levamisole or fenbendazole, is usually sufficient to cure C. aerophila infestations.
This species was originally described in 1839, from specimens found in the trachea of a wolf, and named Trichosoma aerophila. It was transferred to the genus Eucoleus (as Eucoleus aerophilus) by Dujardin in 1845, and to the genus Capillaria (as Capillaria aerophila) in 1911, and is sometimes referred to as Thominx aerophilum. The changes to the end of the species name in each genus, whether it ends with "-a", "-us" or "-um", are necessary to adhere to the rules of Latin grammar.
Males generally range from 15–25 mm long, with a maximum width of 62 µm, while females are 18–32 mm long with a maximum width of 105 µm. Some sources report that they are larger when they occur in the nasal sinuses.
Capillaria aerophila has been found on every continent, and occurs in dogs, cats, and a wide range of wild mammals. The following species have been reported as hosts:
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Wikipedia