The seal louse, <i>Echinophthirius horridus</i>: an intermediate host of the seal heartworm, <i>Dipetalonema spirocauda</i> (Nematoda)

Abstract

Heartworms, Dipetalonema spirocauda, are common in harbour seals, Phoca vitulina, that strand along the New England coast. Lice, Echinophthirius horridus, taken from a stranded harbour seal infected with seal heartworm carried three developmental stages of D. spirocauda. This is the first report of an intermediate host of the seal heartworm.