Ancylostoma tubaeforme

{{Speciesbox

| image =

| genus = Ancylostoma

| species = tubaeforme

| authority = (Zeder, 1800)

}}

Ancylostoma tubaeforme is a hookworm that infects cats worldwide.{{cite book|title=Veterinary parasitology|date=2015|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781119073697|editor1-last=Taylor|editor1-first=MA|edition=4th|pages=38–41|chapter=Superfamily Ancylostomatoidea|editor2-last=Coop|editor2-first=RL|editor3-last=Wall|editor3-first=RL}} Infection can occur through penetration of the skin, ingestion of infected hosts, such as birds, or by directly consuming the organism. Ancylostoma tubaeforme along with Ancylostoma braziliense are the two most common hookworms to infect cats, causing anemia and compromising the immune system.{{cite journal|last1=Massolo|first1=Alessandro|last2=Liccioli|first2=Stefano|last3=Budke|first3=Christine|last4=Klein|first4=Claudia|year=2014|title=Echinococcus multilocularis in North America: the great unknown|url= |journal=Parasite|volume=21|pages=73|doi=10.1051/parasite/2014069|issn=1776-1042|pmc=4273702|pmid=25531581}} {{open access}}

Morphology

The body of an adult A. tubaeforme is between 7 and 12 millimeters long.Youssefi, M. R., Hoseini, S. H., Hoseini, S. M., Zaheri, B. A., & Tabari, M. A. (2010). First report of Ancylostoma tubaeforme in Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor). Iranian Journal of Parasitology, 5(1), 61–63.

Signs

Ancylostoma tubaeforme infection may lead to dermatitis,{{Cite book|title=Veterinary Parasitology|last=Foreyt|first=William J.|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|year=2001|isbn=978-0-8138-2419-2|location=Ames, Iowa|pages=54}} anemia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.aavp.org/wiki/nematodes/strongylida/ancylostomatoidea/ancylostoma-tubaeforme/|title=Ancylostoma tubaeforme {{!}} American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists|last=Bowman|first=Anastasia|date=June 17, 2014|website=www.aavp.org|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-10-08}} weight loss, and pulmonary lesions.

Life cycle

Ancylostoma tubaeforme larvae may infect a host through oral ingestion or through skin lesions.

Larvae ingested by the host pass through the esophagus into the stomach. From there, they burrow into the lining of the stomach and duodenum, and develop into their adult form. The adult hookworms then burrow back into the lining of the stomach and release their ova into the gastrointestinal tract.

Larvae that infect a host by penetrating the skin migrate to the stomach by first traveling through the lungs, up the trachea, and down the esophagus. From there, the larvae develop into adult hookworms, burrow back into the stomach lining, and release their ova into the gastrointestinal tract.

The prepatent period, the time between infection and when larvae can be detected, is 22–25 days.