Father of Helminthology

Karl Asmund Rudolphi (14 July 1771 – 29 November 1832) was a Swedish-born naturalist, who is credited with being the "father of helminthology".

Rudolphi was born in Stockholm to German parents. He was awarded his doctorate in 1795, from the University of Greifswald, where he was appointed Professor of Anatomy. He worked widely across the fields of botany, zoology,anatomy and physiology. He investigated the anatomy of nerves, carried out studies of plant growth and was an early champion of the view that the cell is the basic structural unit of plants. In 1804, Karl Rudolphi, along with J.H.F. Linkwere awarded the prize for "solving the problem of the nature of cells" by theKönigliche Societät der Wissenschaft (Royal Society of Science), Göttingen, for proving that cells had independent rather than common walls.

His first great publication was a study of parasitic worms, the "Enterozoorum Sive Vermium Intestinalium Historia Naturalis". This is the first publication to describe the Nematoda. His second, the "Synopsis cui accedunt mantissima duplex et indices locupletissima" was the first work to detail the life cycle of important nematode parasites of humans, such as Ascaris lumbricoides. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Rudolphi)

Spirocerca lupi

Spirocerca lupi is a species of nematode In dogs, infestation can cause osteosarcoma of the esophagus. Doramectin has been used against it. (www.wikipedia.com)

Spirocercosis is a disease occurring predominantly in Canidae, caused by the nematode Spirocerca lupi. Typical clinical signs are regurgitation, vomiting and dyspnoea. The life-cycle involves an intermediate (coprophagous beetle) and a variety of paratenic hosts. Larvae follow a specific migratory route, penetrating the gastric mucosa of the host, migrating along arteries, maturing in the thoracic aorta before eventually moving to the caudal oesophagus. Here the worm lives in nodules and passes larvated eggs which can be detected using zinc sulphate faecal flotation. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17512766)

Dirofilaria immitis

Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a parasitic roundworm that is spread from host to host through the bites of mosquitoes. The heartworm is a type of filaria, a small thread-like worm, that causes filariasis. The definitive host is the dog, but it can also infect cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes and other animals, such as ferrets, sea lions, ferrets and even, under very rare circumstances, humans. 

The parasite is commonly called "heartworm"; however, adults often reside in the pulmonary arterial system (lung arteries) as well as the heart, and a major effect on the health of the animal is a manifestation of damage to the lung vessels and tissues. 

The parasite is commonly called "heartworm"; however, adults often reside in the pulmonary arterial system (lung arteries) as well as the heart, and a major effect on the health of the animal is a manifestation of damage to the lung vessels and tissues. 

     

Occasionally, adult heartworms migrate to the right heart and even the great veins in heavy infections. Heartworm  infection may result in serious disease for the host, with death typically as the result of congestive heart failure. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helminthology)