Parasites (A to M)
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus occurs in cats in many parts of the world, especially where it is warm and damp. The parasite is seen occasionally as a clinical problem in British Colum...
Alaria species
Alaria species are intestinal trematodes of domestic dogs and occasionally cats, and of free-ranging canids and felids.
Alaria species in people
Rarely, human infections with Alaria have been reported, presumably following ingestion of raw or inadequately cooked frogs.
Anaplasma marginale
Anaplasma marginale is a rickettsial organism that infects the erythrocytes of cattle and is transmitted by ticks.
Ancylostoma caninum
Ancylostoma caninum is a pathogenic hookworm of domestic dogs and free-ranging canids, so called because its buccal capsule is bent dorsally in the form of a "hook."
Ancylostoma caninum and cutaneous larva migrans in people
People can develop cutaneous larva migrans associated with invasion by infective larvae of A. caninum or A. braziliense, another hookworm of dogs, often from laying on a contaminat...
Ancylostoma tubaeforme
The nematode Ancylostoma tubaeforme is a hookworm of cats that occurs around the world. Infection with A. tubaeforme is rarely diagnosed in cats in Canada.
Angiostrongylus vasorum
Angiostrongylus vasorum occur in dogs, foxes, coyotes and lynx. So far in Canada, the parasite is only found in the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland. It's also found in South Ameri...
Anoplocephala and Paranoplocephala
The tapeworms Anoplocephala perfoliata, A. magna and Paranoplocephala mamillana occur in horses around the world.
Baylisascaris procyonis
Baylisascaris procyonis is a small-intestinal nematode of raccoons in North and Central America, including Canada
Baylisascaris procyonis in people
Baylisascaris procyonis is a small-intestinal nematode of raccoons in North and Central America, including Canada, and is also present in raccoons introduced into Europe and Japan.
Besnoitia species
The apicomplexan protozoan Besnoitia infects cattle and goats in tropical and subtropical countries, especially in Africa.
Capillaria plica
The nematode Capillaria plica occurs in the urinary bladder of dogs, free-ranging carnivores, and rarely cats, worldwide, likely including Canada.
Cheyletiella species
Dogs and cats each have their own species of the mite Cheyletiella, which appear to be host-specific — C. yasguri in dogs and C. blakei in cats.
Cheyletiella species in people
People can acquire Cheyletiella from dogs or cats as accidental hosts.
Chorioptes bovis — chorioptic mange
The mange mite Chorioptes occurs on cattle and other domestic animals and wildlife around the world, including in Canada.
Cimex lectularius (bed bug) on people
Cimex lectularius, the bed bug, infests people, other mammals, especially bats, and birds around the world, including in Canada.
Cryptosporidium species
Cryptosporidium spp. are gastrointestinal coccidians (although the taxonomy is controversial) of a wide range of vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish). Surve...
Cryptosporidium species — cattle
Cattle around the world are infected at some stage in their lives with Cryptosporidium, and intracellular parasite of enterocytes.
Cryptosporidium species - horses
The surface mite Chorioptes occurs on horses and other equids around the world.
Cryptosporidium species in people
Among the currently recognized species of Cryptosporidium, C. hominis and C. parvum are the most common isolates from people, although human infections with several other species h...
Cryptosporidium species — pigs
Pigs have their own species of Cryptosporidium - C. suis (which has been recovered very rarely from people), as well as natural infections with the potentially zoonotic C. parvum.
Cryptosporidium species — sheep
The primary species in sheep (and goats) is potentially zoonotic C. parvum. A new species - C. xiaoi - has recently been described from sheep, but its occurrence and significance ...
Ctenocephalides (felis) felis (cat flea) Ctenocephalides (felis) canis (dog flea)
Fleas of the genus Ctenocephalides occur on dogs and cats around the world.
Ctenocephalides on people
Fleas are not very host specific, and animal and bird fleas will readily feed on people, even if they do not usually proceed to egg laying. Dogs or cats that have large burdens of ...
Culicoides species — biting midges or no-see-ums
Midges of the genus Culicoides occur around the world, including in Canada. Adult females must blood-feed on animals, producing painful bites prior to laying eggs.
Cuterebra species — rabbit bot
Adults of the dipteran (fly) genus Cuterebra are free-living. Larvae are found under the skin of various hosts, generally rodents but occasionally dogs and cats.
Cyathostomins
The cyathostomins are a large group of genera and species of closely related nematodes that live as adults in the large intestine of horses around the world, including Canada.
Cystoisospora species
Dogs and cats around the world, especially pups and kittens, are often infected with a range of species of Cystoisospora (formerly known as Isospora).
Demodex canis
Demodex mites are common in the hair follicles and sometimes sebaceous glands of the skin of dogs around the world.
Demodex species — cats
Cats can be infested with three species of Demodex: D. cati, D. gatoi, and a third, as yet un-named species.
Dermacentor albipictus
Dermacentor albipictus (the winter tick or moose tick) is a large reddish-brown to gray-brown tick. In Canada, D. albipictus is found in all provinces and territories, appearing as...
Dermacentor andersoni: the Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni is a large reddish-brown to gray-brown tick. In Canada, it is found from central Saskatchewan and west through Alberta and into British Columbia.
Dermacentor andersoni -- horses
Dermacentor andersoni is a large reddish-brown to gray-brown tick. In Canada, it is found from central Saskatchewan and west through Alberta and into British Columbia.
Dermacentor variabilis: American dog tick
Dermacentor variabalis is a large reddish-brown to gray-brown tick. In Canada, D. variabilis is found from eastern Saskatchewan and east through to Nova Scotia, primarily in the so...
Dermacentor variabilis — horses
Dermacentor variabalis is a large reddish-brown to gray-brown tick. In Canada, D. variabilis is found from eastern Saskatchewan and east through to Nova Scotia, primarily in the so...
Dicrocoelium dendriticum
The trematode Dicrocoelium dendriticum occurs in cattle, sheep and other ungulates in many parts of the world, including western Canada.
Dictyocaulus arnfieldi
The lung nematode Dictyocaulus arnfieldi occurs in horses and other equids in many parts of the world, including rarely in Canada.
Dictyocaulus filaria
Dictyocaulus filaria occurs in sheep in many areas of the world, including Canada, where it seems to be a rare cause of clinical disease.
Dictyocaulus viviparus
The lung nematode Dictyocaulus viviparus occurs in cattle in many parts of the world, including Canada. Adult parasites live in the trachea and bronchi.
Dioctophyma renale
Dioctophyma renale occurs in dogs, foxes, mink, ferrets, otters, cats (on occasion), pigs, horses, cattle and people.
Diphyllobothrium species
Adult cestodes of the genus Diphyllobothrium live in the small intestine of dogs and other fish-eating mammals and birds in many parts of the world, especially the northern hemisp...
Diphyllobothrium species in people
People acquire Diphyllobothrium by eating infected, unfrozen, raw fish.
Dipylidium caninum
Dipylidium caninum is a tapeworm of the small intestines of domestic dogs and cats and free-ranging canids and felids.
Dirofilaria immitis
The nematode Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) occurs in domestic dogs and less often in cats, and in free-ranging canids and other carnivores, in many regions of the world.
Dracunculus insignis
Diagnosed infections of Dracunculus insignis in dogs living in Canada seems to be very rare.
Echinococcus canadensis
The cestode genus Echinococcus contains at least seven established species, two of which (Echinococcus canadensis and E. multilocularis) occur in Canada.
Echinococcus granulosus and cystic hydatid in people
People are in the intermediate host position in the life cycle.
Echinococcus multilocularis
The cestode genus Echinococcus contains at least seven established species, two of which occur in Canada: Echinococcus canadensis and E. multilocularis.
Echinococcus multilocularis and alveolar hydatid in people
For E. multilocularis, as for E. granulosus, people are in the intermediate host position in the life cycle.
Eimeria leuckarti
Eimeria leuckarti is a coccidian protozoan that infects horses around the world, including in Canada.
Eimeria species
Coccidian protozoa of the genus Eimeria are common in cattle around the world. Many species are considered to be of little or no clinical significance but in Canada E. zuernii and...
Eimeria species — sheep
Coccidian protozoa of the genus Eimeria are common in sheep around the world.
Eucoleus (Capillaria) aerophila
Eucoleus aerophila is a tracheal worm that infects primarily foxes and occasionally other free-ranging carnivores, dogs, cats and people.
Eutrombicula species
Trombiculid mites are free-living but their larval stages can infest a range of mammals, birds and people, causing sometimes severe skin lesions characterised by intense pruritus.
Eutrombicula species on people
Trombiculid mites (harvest mites or chiggers) are free-living mites that occur in many parts of the world, including Canada.
Fasciola hepatica
The trematode Fasciola hepatica (the common liver fluke of ruminants) infects cattle and sheep, and less commonly a range of domestic and wildlife species, around the world.
Fascioloides magna
The trematode Fascioloides magna (the large liver fluke of ungulates) occurs in several areas of the world, including parts of Canada.
Free-living amoebae
Free-living amoebae are protozoa that normally live in the environment and only occasionally infect human or animal hosts. Acanthamoeba spp. and Naegleria fowleri are the most comm...
Gasterophilus
Bot flies of the genus Gasterophilus infest horses around the world, including Canada.
Gastro-intestinal nematodes — pigs
Pigs in Canada may be infected with a variety of gastro-intestinal nematodes other than Ascaris suum.
Giardia species-horses
Little is known of the occurrence or clinical significance of Giardia species in horses.
Giardia species in people
Among the species and assemblages (similar to genotypes) of Giardia infecting mammals, birds (G. ardeae and G. psittaci), amphibians (G. agilis) or reptiles (G. varani), almost all...
Giardia species — pigs
Very little is known of the occurrence and production and clinical significance of Giardia in pigs.
Habronema species and Draschia species
Habronema and Draschia are small nematodes that as adults inhabit the stomach of horses.
Haematobia irritans
The hornfly Haematobia irritans occurs in association with cattle around the world, including in Canada.
Hypoderma bovis and H. lineatum
Hypoderma bovis and Hypoderma lineatum are the common warble flies of cattle, and occasionally other hosts, in the northern hemisphere.
Isospora suis
Pigs around the world, especially piglets, are often infected with a range of coccidian species of which Isospora suis appears to be the most significant.
Lice: Chewing: Werneckiella (Damalinia) equi; Sucking: Haematopinus asini
Horses around the world, including in Canada, are infested with sucking (Haematopinus asini) and/or chewing (Wernekiella (Damalinia) equi) lice.
Lice: chewing and sucking species
Sucking and chewing lice occur on cattle around the world. The life cycle is direct and all life cycle stages - adults, eggs (nits), larvae and nymphs occur on the host.
Lice of animal origin on people
Lice are generally host-specific, and while the species from domestic and free-ranging animals and birds might stray on to animals other than their normal hosts, or on to people, t...
Melophagus ovinus
The ked Melophagus ovinus is a Dipteran (two-winged fly) without wings, and occurs on sheep around the world, including in Canada.
Metastrongylus species
Metastrongylus spp. are lung nematodes found in pigs. This parasite is present in many parts of the world and is only found rarely in Canada. Adult parasites live in the bronchi an...
Metorchis conjunctus in people
In the past M. conjunctus was an occasional parasite of inhabitants of northern Canada, but now seems to be less common, perhaps because fewer sucker fish are consumed.
Mites (miscellaneous) of animal origin on people
As well as Cheyletiella, and Sarcoptes, and Notoedres , there are many other mite parasites of animals and birds that will also infest people, sometimes causing significant clinica...
Moniezia and Thysanosoma
The large cestodes Moniezia and Thysanosoma in cattle and sheep, and occasionally free-ranging ungulates, are found around the world, including in Canada.
Musca autumnalis
The face fly Musca autumnalis occurs on cattle and sometimes horses around the world, including in Canada.
Myiasis
Myiasis is the infestation of living vertebrates with the larvae of flies, the species of which vary with location around the world.
Myiasis - pigs
Myiasis is the infestation of living vertebrates with the larvae of flies, the species of which vary with location around the world.