Skinworm
Skinworm
In Hungary, the presence of cutaneous worm infestation has been known for a long time, with 20-30% dogs currently infected, depending on the region. Heartworm disease was previously only detected in dogs imported from abroad, but the number of domestic cases is now increasing by leaps and bounds. According to a domestic survey, approximately 2% carriers are found in approximately all dogs tested, which, although not at first sight an alarming number, is an increasing trend. It is important to stress that 2% refers only to the tested individuals.
Both diseases are spread by mosquitoes, and the infection is not transmitted between animals by direct contact, but can be transmitted from mother to offspring via the foetal circulation. Infection occurs in dogs and cats, although it is much less common in cats.
Skinworm
The worms take at least 6 months to fully develop, so they only occur in dogs over 6-8 months of age. Cutaneous worm infestation manifests itself as nodules, itching, scabies in the subcutaneous connective tissue of the animal, in which there is an adult skin worm. The nodules are not painful and do not usually cause discomfort to the animal, but humans can be infected by mosquitoes, and nodules containing worms may form under the skin of the face, eyelids, possibly the eye or other areas of the body (e.g. under the arms, scrotum).
Detection of infection
Both the adult skinworm and the adult heartworm produce microscopic larvae in the dog or cat, which are called microfilariae. There is a good chance of detecting infection by blood sampling, but the microfilariae of the skinworm and heartworm cannot be distinguished microscopically. Therefore, further examination is recommended in case of infection. Rapid tests for heartworm identification that are easy to use in the veterinary practice are not completely reliable and DNA testing is recommended.