Toxocara canis is smaller than most of the other species in the family Ascarididae. It has a complete gut in the form of a simple tube. It is a "round worm" implying the shape of the outer layer to be round (if seen in a cross section ). Depending on the host the worm gets into T.
What does Toxocara canis look like?
canis has a round body with spiky cranial and caudal parts, covered by yellow cuticula. Toxocara canis is gonochoristic. The cranial part of the body contains two lateral alae (length 2–3.5 mm, width 0.1 mm). The eggs are brownish and almost spherical.
What does Toxocara cati look like?
Adult worms are localised in the gut of the host. In adult cats, the infection – which is called toxocariasis – is usually asymptomatic. However, massive infection in juvenile cats can be fatal. Feline roundworms are brownish-yellow to cream-colored to pink and may be up to 10 cm in length.
What is the host of Toxocara canis?
Two main species of Toxocara affect humans: Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Hosts include cats, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and wolves. These hosts harbor the nematodes in their guts, shedding the eggs in their feces. The embryonated eggs remain infectious for years outside the host.
What is Toxocara canis ova?
Toxocara canis is a worm whose natural hosts are the cat and the dog. Humans are accidental hosts, infected by ingesting the ova from contaminated soil. The larval stage causes visceral and ocular larva migrans, but adult worms are not found. These larvae migrate and are deposited in the CNS, including the retina.
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