| Summary Information |
| Diseases /
List of Parasitic Diseases
/ Disease summary |
| Alternative Names |
Tongue
worm
|
| Disease Agents |
- Linguatula serrata (B614.11.w11)
Morphology
-
The Linguatula nymph found in rabbits
has been described as a white, legless, "tongue-shaped",
pseudoannulated parasite that is flattened ventrally and slightly
convex dorsally, measuring five to six centimetres. (B614.11.w11)
Life cycle
- Adult Linguatula serrata mites are found in the respiratory
tract of the wolf, fox, dog, and more rarely the goat, sheep, and
human. Eggs are expelled from the definitive host's respiratory tract
and then ingested by the rabbit where they hatch into larvae. The
larvae then puncture the bowel wall and enter the mesenteric lymph
nodes where they develop into infective nymphs. Infection of the
definitive host occurs when they ingest an affected rabbit. (B614.11.w11)
|
| Infectious
Agent(s) |
|
| Non-infectious
Agent(s) |
-- |
| Physical
Agent(s) |
--
|
| General Description |
The
natural intermediate host of linguatulid mites are wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus
- European rabbit and Sylvilagus
spp.) from many countries including the USA. (B614.11.w11)
Clinical signs
- Clinical signs in rabbits are not likely to be produced by
linguatulid mite infections. Incidental findings may be seen at post
mortem. (B614.11.w11)
|
| Further Information |
Occurrence in lagomorphs
|
| Associated Techniques |
|
| Host taxa groups /species |
|
| Disease
Author |
Nikki Fox BVSc MRCVS (V.w103);
Dr Debra Bourne MA VetMB PhD MRCVS
(V.w5) |
| Referees |
Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior
MA,PhD,DSc (H c: Mult) , AM(H c),DVM&S (H.c),DVMS(H.c) ,DVM(H,c) F.Med Sci.,Hon FRCVS F.Inst Biol. F.R.C.Path (H.c), DVSM, MRCVS
(V.w135) |