Dirofilaria+immitis

__BASIC SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION__: Species Dirofilaria immitis

Kingdom: Animali Phylum: Nematoda Class: Secernentea Order: Spirurida Family: Onchocercidae

=BASIC PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION = D. immitis is a small, threadlike worm with a tough exterior. These worms have a sharp spear at the top of their heads that they use to puncture cells with. Adult females are 10-12 inches long while adult males are only about half that size.



=HABITAT = D. immitis resides in the pulmonary, femoral, and hepatic arteries. It can also reside in other blood vessels as well as the atrium of __dogs__.

=NICHE = It is a parasite that is capable of infecting a wide variety of animals (dogs, cats, rodents, horses, sea lions, ferrets, and much more). D. immitis feeds on its hosts blood, exclusively. They are spread from host to host through mosquito bites. = = =ODD/IMPORTANCE = D. immitis is responsible for the heart worm disease of household pets. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">An adult female worm can release up to 5000 larvae each day.

D. immitis in the heart of a dog.

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