Although it is important to realize
immature worms cause damage in the condition known as Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD).
Dead
immature worms cause inflammation in the lungs which leads to Heartworm Associated Respiratory Disease (HARD), but can be mistaken for asthma or allergic bronchitis.
Not exact matches
The
immature worms then enter a blood vessel and are carried to the arteries in the lung where they
cause an inflammatory reaction.
It is defined as vascular, airway and interstitial lung lesions
caused by the death of
immature adult
worms, and the inflammation may last up to eight months.
The disease is
caused by an inflammatory reaction to the presence of heartworm or
immature adult
worms.4, 5
Cats do not appear to be suitable hosts for the adult
worm — but they are equally susceptible to disease
caused by the
immature Baylisascaris larva.
Most intestinal
worms have to be ingested during their
immature stages to
cause disease but some intestinal
worms can burrow straight through the skin.
Immature worms arriving in the pulmonary vasculature can
cause pulmonary arterial, arteriolar, and airway lesions as severe as those seen with death of adult heartworms.
The inflammatory response to the arrival of
immature worms in the lungs may
cause asthma - like signs.2 These cats may initially present with a history of coughing, dyspnea, and vomiting.
Despite its name, Heartworm Disease is primarily a lung disease in cats
causing cough, chronic inflammation, and even scarring within the lungs due to the presence of 2» long
immature larval
worms.
The eggs hatch in the human intestinal tract, and the
immature worms travel to various tissues in the body, including the eyes and brain,
causing serious reactions.
This doesn't mean there is no damage done — even
immature worms can
cause harm — but it does mean that cats often go undiagnosed because they do not have the symptoms dogs present.
Both
immature larvae and adult
worms cause a great deal of lasting damage to a cat's organs and immune system as they travel through the cat's body.