Toxocara canis

(Intestinal roundworm)

Rev.  08/03/2020

Classification

Class:    Chromadorea

SubClass: Spiruria

Order:   Ascaridida

Superfamily: Ascaridoidea

Family:  Ascarididae

Morphology and Anatomy:

Distribution:

Neotropical : Few common in North America, many abound in tropical countries.

Economic Importance:

May cause death in canines and larval visceral migrans in humans.

Hosts:

Common among wild and domestic animals.

Feeding:

Eats the fluid in the intestine of humans and/or animals that are infected with the eggs.

Life Cycle:

After the male injects sperm into the reproductive tract the shelled embryos or zygotes are stored in the uterus until deposition. The eggs hatch in the small intestine and the larvae enter the hepatic venules, migrating to the lungs.

Damage:

Management:

References:

Material from Petra A. Garcia, 1995.

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