Diseases / List of Parasitic Diseases / Disease description:
Microfilarial Infection in Waterfowl

INFORMATION AVAILABLE

GENERAL INFORMATION

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS & PATHOLOGY

INVESTIGATION & DIAGNOSIS

TREATMENT & CONTROL

SUSCEPTIBILITY & TRANSMISSION

ENVIRONMENT & GEOGRAPHY

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General and References

Disease Summary
WATERFOWL Filarioid nematode infection recorded due to presence of microfilariae in the blood. Non-pathogenic, except for the heartworm.

(N.B. see also Heartworm (Sarconema) Infection)

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Alternative Names (Synonyms)
  • See also:  Heartworm (Sarconema) Infection.

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Disease Type
 Parasitic - Roundworms

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Infectious/Non-Infectious Agent associated with the Disease
 Various species of microfilariae (nematode worms).

VECTORS: Blood-sucking insects including black-flies, mosquitoes and midges

(N.B. see also Heartworm (Sarconema) Infection)

Infective "Taxa"

Non-infective agents

 --

Physical agents

 -- Indirect / Secondary

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References

Disease Author

 Debra Bourne
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Major References / Reviews

Code and Title List

 B15, B48.20.w20
J7.17.w1
J11.37.w1
J30.53.w1

Other References

Code and Title List

 B91
J1.10.w1, J1.15.w1, J1.16.w1, J1.16.w2, J1.16.w3, J1.16.w8, J1.18.w1, J1.30.w2

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Clinical Characteristics and Pathology

Detailed Clinical and Pathological Characteristics

General

 WATERFOWL  Parasites found in the blood. No clinical signs of infection, except with Heartworm (Sarconema) Infection (Heartworm (Sarconema) Infection).

Clinical Characteristics

 WATERFOWL No clinical signs of infection.

Incubation

 WATERFOWL Microfilariae may be found in the blood 30-36 days after infection (B48.20.w20).

Mortality / Morbidity

 WATERFOWL None reported.

Pathology

 WATERFOWL Microfilariae may be an incidental finding in blood smears.

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Human Health Considerations
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Susceptibility / Transmission

General information on Susceptibility / Transmission
WATERFOWL Transmitted by blood-sucking insects including Simuliidae (black-flies), culicids (Culicidae) (mosquitoes), ceratopogonids (midges) (Ceratopogonidae) (J30.53.w1, B48.20.w20).

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Disease / Agent has been reported in either the wild or in captivity in:
Microfilariae have been reported in:
  • Aix sponsa - Wood duck, Anas acuta - Northern pintail, Anas americana - American wigeon, Anas clypeata - Northern shoveler, Anas crecca - Green-winged teal, Anas discors - Blue-winged teal, Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard, Anas rubripes - American black duck, Anas strepera - Gadwall, Anser anser - Greylag goose, Anser caerulescens - Snow goose, Aythya affinis - Lesser scaup, Aythya collaris - Ring-necked duck, Aythya marila - Greater scaup, Aythya valisineria - Canvasback, Branta canadensis - Canada goose, Bucephala albeola - Bufflehead, Bucephala clangula - Common goldeneye, Clangula hyemalis - Long-tailed duck, Lophodytes cucullatus - Hooded merganser, Mergus merganser - Common merganser, Mergus serrator - Red-breasted merganser in North America (J30.53.w1).
  • (Green-winged) teal Anas crecca, Northern pintail Anas acuta, smew Mergellus albellus in the UK; (note that infections have also been recorded in: mallard Anas platyrhynchos, northern shoveler Anas clypeata, mandarin duck Aix galericulata, black (common) scoter Melanitta nigra, red-breasted merganser Mergus serrator, greylag goose Anser anser, Canada goose Branta canadensis, mute swan Cygnus olor, Bewick's swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii) (J7.17.w1).
  • Black duck Anas rubripes, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, mallard x black duck hybrid, green-winged teal Anas crecca, wood duck Aix sponsa Atlantic flyway, Massachusetts, USA (J1.10.w1).
  • Northern pintail Anas acuta, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada (J1.18.w1).
  • American wigeon (baldpate) Anas americana, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos in California, USA (J11.37.w1).
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos in Oklahoma, USA (J1.15.w1).
  • Lesser scaup Aythya affinis in Texas, USA (J1.16.w3).
  • Wood ducks Aix sponsa in the Atlantic flyway (J1.16.w2).
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and green-winged teal Anas crecca in Oklahoma, USA (J1.16.w8).
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos in the Pacific Flyway, Washington state, USA (J1.16.w1).
  • Wood ducks Aix sponsa in Missouri, USA (J1.30.w2).
  • American black duck Anas rubripes and domestic duck Anas boschas (platyrhynchos) domesticus, Canada (B48.20.w20).
  • Anas platyrhynchos domesticus - Domestic duck,  Anas acuta - Northern pintail,  Anas rubripes - American black duck. (B91)

WATERFOWL Host Species List

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Disease / Agent has been specifically reported in Free-ranging populations of:
  • Aix sponsa - Wood duck, Anas acuta - Northern pintail, Anas americana - American wigeon, Anas clypeata - Northern shoveler, Anas crecca - Green-winged teal, Anas discors - Blue-winged teal, Anas platyrhynchos - Mallard, Anas rubripes - American black duck, Anas strepera - Gadwall, Anser anser - Greylag goose, Anser caerulescens - Snow goose, Aythya affinis - Lesser scaup, Aythya collaris - Ring-necked duck, Aythya marila - Greater scaup, Aythya valisineria - Canvasback, Branta canadensis - Canada goose, Bucephala albeola - Bufflehead, Bucephala clangula - Common goldeneye, Clangula hyemalis - Long-tailed duck, Lophodytes cucullatus - Hooded merganser, Mergus merganser - Common merganser, Mergus serrator - Red-breasted merganser in North America (J30.53.w1).
  • (Green-winged) teal Anas crecca, Northern pintail Anas acuta, smew Mergellus albellus in the UK (J7.17.w1).
  • Black duck Anas rubripes, mallard Anas platyrhynchos, mallard x black duck hybrid, green-winged teal Anas crecca, wood duck Aix sponsa Atlantic flyway, Massachusetts, USA (J1.10.w1).
  • Northern pintail Anas acuta, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada (J1.18.w1).
  • American wigeon (baldpate) Anas americana, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos in California, USA (J11.37.w1).
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis, green-winged teal Anas crecca and mallard Anas platyrhynchos in Oklahoma, USA (J1.15.w1).
  • Lesser scaup Aythya affinis in Texas, USA (J1.16.w3).
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and green-winged teal Anas crecca in Oklahoma, USA (J1.16.w8).
  • Wood ducks Aix sponsa in the Atlantic flyway (J1.16.w2).
  • Mallard Anas platyrhynchos in the Pacific Flyway, Washington state, USA (J1.16.w1).
  • Wood ducks Aix sponsa in Missouri, USA (J1.30.w2).

WATERFOWL Host Species List

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Environment/Geography
General Information on Environmental Factors/Events and Seasonality
Presence of microfilariae in blood may show both diurnal and seasonal periodicity (J7.17.w1).

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Regions / Countries where the Infectious Agent or Disease has been recorded

North America, UK (J7.17.w1, J30.53.w1).

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Regions / Countries where the Infectious Agent or Disease has been recorded in Free-ranging populations

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General Investigation / Diagnosis

General Information on Investigation / Diagnosis
WATERFOWL
  • Microfilariae are detected more frequently if heart blood or blood from lungs is examined rather than peripheral blood smears (J7.17.w1; J11.37.w1).
  • Capillary tube test may be most sensitive for detecting microfilariae in blood (B15).
Related Techniques
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Similar Diseases (Differential Diagnosis)
WATERFOWL --

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Treatment and Control

Specific Medical Treatment
WATERFOWL --
Related Techniques

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General Nursing and Surgical Techniques
WATERFOWL --
Related Techniques

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Preventative Measures
Vaccination WATERFOWL --
Prophylactic Treatment

WATERFOWL

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Related Techniques

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Environmental and Population  Control Measures
General Environment Changes, Cleaning and Disinfection

WATERFOWL

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Population Control Measures WATERFOWL --
Isolation, Quarantine and Screening WATERFOWL --
Related Techniques
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