Ascarids, Hookworms, Strongyloides, & Stomach worms

Parasite

An organism that lives at the expense of another organism known as the host.

Cervical Alae

Inflations of the cuticle on the anterior end of certain roundworms, prominent in species such as Toxocara cati and Toxocara canis.

Visceral Larva Migrans (VLM)

A condition in humans caused primarily by the visceral migration of Toxocara canis larvae.

Neurological Larva Migrans (NLM)

A central nervous system condition in accidental hosts caused by the migration of Baylisascaris procyonis larvae.

Ancylostoma caninum

Known as the canine hookworm, an intestinal blood-sucking parasite characterized by three pairs of teeth in its oral cavity.

Uncinaria stenocephala

Known as the Northern hookworm, an intestinal parasite of dogs and cats that features cutting plates instead of teeth in its oral cavity.

Copulatory Bursa

A specialized finger-like attachment structure located at the posterior end of male hookworms used to hold the female during mating.

Cutaneous Larva Migrans (CLM)

Also known as creeping eruptions, a zoonotic skin condition in humans caused by hookworm larvae penetrating the skin and creating serpentine tracks.

Strongyloides stercoralis

A small intestinal threadworm of dogs, cats, and humans where parasitic females measure approximately $2\,mm$ in length.

Homogonic Life Cycle

The parasitic life cycle phase of Strongyloides stercoralis, which involves only parthenogenic females.

Heterogonic Life Cycle

The free-living life cycle phase of Strongyloides stercoralis, which consists of free-living adult males and females.

Rhabditiform Esophagus

An esophageal structure composed of a corpus, isthmus, and bulb, characteristic of L1 larvae and free-living adult stages of Strongyloides stercoralis.

Baermann Technique

A diagnostic technique used for the recovery and identification of nematode larvae from fecal or vomitus samples.

Ollulanus tricuspis

An ovoviviparous stomach worm of cats and wild felids transmitted directly when hosts ingest vomitus containing infective L3 larvae.

Physaloptera species

Stomach worms of dogs and cats featuring a distinctive cervical collar on the anterior end and producing transparent, thick-shelled, larvated eggs.

Spirocerca lupi

A canine nematode of the order Spiurida that causes esophageal nodules and produces small, larvated, paperclip-like eggs.

Phylum Acanthocephala

A phylum of thorny-headed worms characterized by a retractable, spiny proboscis that attaches to the intestinal mucosal layer.

Gynecophoric Groove

A specialized ventral canal in male blood flukes (Schistosoma mansoni) in which the stouter male carries the slender female worm.

Ovoviviparous

A reproductive method in which eggs hatch inside the female parent's body prior to release, as seen in Ollulanus tricuspis.