heart·worm

(härt′wûrm′)

1. A parasitic filarial worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is transmitted by mosquitoes and infects the pulmonary arteries and often the right side of the heart of dogs and other canids and sometimes other mammals, including cats.

2. The condition resulting from infection with heartworms, characterized by respiratory symptoms and fatigue.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

heartworm

(ˈhɑːtˌwɜːm)

(Animals) a parasitic nematode worm, Dirofilaria immitis, that lives in the heart and bloodstream of vertebrates

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

heart•worm

(ˈhɑrtˌwɜrm)

n.

1. a parasitic nematode, Dirofilaria immitis, transmitted by mosquitoes and invading the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs and other canids.

2. the disease caused by infection with heartworm.

[1885–90]

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Human dirofilariasis is a mosquitoborne zoonosis caused by filarial worms of the genus Dirofilaria, which has 2 subgenera: Dirofilaria (the most common species is D.

Dirofilaria repens Nematode Infection with Microfilaremia in Traveler Returning to Belgium from Senegal

Distribution and ecology of mosquitoes in a focus of dirofilariasis in northwestern Iran, with the first finding of filarial larvae in naturally infected local mosquitoes.

Potential for the Invasive Species Aedes Albopictus and Arboviral Transmission through the Chabahar Port in Iran

A case of orbital dirofilariasis in northern Turkey.

Turkiye'nin Bati Karadeniz Bolgesi Sivrisinek (Diptera: Culicidae) Faunasi / Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna of Western Black Sea Region of Turkey

Morchan et al., "Human and animal dirofilariasis: the emergence of a zoonotic mosaic," Clinical Microbiology Reviews, vol.

Xenomonitoring of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for the Presence of Filarioid Helminths in Eastern Austria

Subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens diagnosed by histopathologic and polymerase chain reaction analysis.

Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Microfilariosis in a Dog

Cases of human dirofilariasis have been reported in several countries [1].

Subcutaneous and Pulmonary Dirofilariasis with Evidence of Splenic Involvement

According to the Journal of Parasitic Diseases, there are 800 reported cases worldwide of dirofilariasis since it was first documented in 1885.

12cm long worm removed from woman's eyelid

Dr Vikram Mohindra, Aster Hospital's ophthalmologist, discovered the patient was suffering from a parasitic infection called dirofilariasis, which is caused by mosquito bites.

12cm long worm pulled out of woman's eye