Parasitology

Flea infestation: a snapshot on the common products and the reasons for treatment failure

Fleas are laterally flattened, dark brown insects around 2–5 mm in size. Although fleas are wingless (Figure 1), they are highly mobile because of their strong hind legs adapted for jumping (Wright...

CPD article: Role of cats in human toxocarosis

The two ascarid species that can produce patent infections in domestic cats are Toxocara cati (Schrank, 1788) (syn. Toxocara mystax, Fusaria mystax, Ascaris felis, Ascaris cati, Belascaris mystax, and...

Educating clients about raw diets and the associated parasitic risks

All puppies and kittens are infected with Toxocara canis and T. cati respectively, at, or shortly after birth (Overgaauw and Van Knapen, 2013). This occurs through transplacental (puppies) and...

Factors driving lungworm spread and the need for ongoing diagnosis and prevention

A. vasorum has spread rapidly over the past 20 years from endemic foci in Wales, the South West and South East of England across the whole of the UK. Increased reporting of cases has been seen in...

Tick-borne encephalitis: an increasing threat in Europe

The distribution of TBEV is closely related to the activity of its tick vectors. These are Ixodes ricinus (Figure 1) in Western and Central Europe and Ixodes persulcatus in Central and Eastern Europe....

Creepy crawlies in dogs and cats: how to find and treat them

Cheyletiellosis is typically a very mild, but highly contagious skin condition caused by surface living Cheyletiella spp. mites. They can affect many species but are not thought to be host specific;...

Vector-borne parasite transmission in the UK and the role of the veterinary nurse in education

Strategies to limit vector-borne disease rely on a combination of practical control measures and preventative drug treatments; these form the basis of control protocols for individual pets. As the...

Faecal-oral parasite transmission and the veterinary nurse's role in education

Toxocara spp. are a group of intestinal nematodes with species infecting dogs (Toxocara canis) and cats (Toxocara cati), both of which have zoonotic potential. Adult worms lie in the small intestine...

Canine flea control — what the veterinary nurse needs to know

The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, belongs to the Order Siphonaptera and the Family Pulicidae. Despite its name the cat flea is recognised as the most common and important ectoparasite of...

Best practice parasite prevention in the travelling pet

Echinococcus multilocularis, the cause of cystic echinococcosis, is a severe zoonosis and considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organisation. The adult tapeworm is carried by both foxes...

Toxoplasma gondii – the facts

Although T. gondii can infect virtually all warm-blooded hosts, clinical outcome differs. For example, cattle and horses are more resistant than sheep and goats. A few examples are cited here in...

Endo and ectoparasites in rabbits

There are numerous parasites, both endo and ectoparasites, that affect rabbits. Some of these are asymptomatic and may play a part in the healthy balance of the rabbit's gastrointestinal tract and do...