Bumpy Vampire Worm

Bumpy Vampire Worm

1. Nematode

   • Roundworm
   • Morphology
     • eyes
       • more complex eyes to be able to see and move towards the hosts. More likely to infect
     • large mouth
       • to accommodate the teeth (large bucal capsule)
     • sharp teeth
       • blood sucking, attachment
     • muscular
       • Its muscles help with locomotion, worms can move longer distances without depleting all their energy.
     • Sexual dimorphism
       • Females larger than males
         • Females larger than males--hold more reproductive organs
     • Temp sensor?
       • Should worms have a temperature sensor to know when a host is near? or are eyes enough?
   • Locomotion
     • Able to actively move towards hosts, increases incidence
     • motile larvae & adults
     • able to move large distances?
     • Other modes of transportation?
       • Mechanical vectors
         • attaches to human and introduced to new pens/animals
   • Size
     • small worms, smaller than small strongyles
     • Adult females: 3-5cm
     • Adult males: 2cm

2. Lifecycle

   • One-host lifecycle
     • Only one host needed to complete lifecycle. No need for intermediate hosts..makes them more difficult or easier to control?
     • monoxenous, oligoxenous
       • can infect many host species?
   • high reproducibility
     • One female can produce 500K offspring. Would it be worthwhile to have worms undergo parthenogenesis? Males only used for genetic diversity?
     • Females mate multiple times in lifecycle
     • males live after mating
     • seek out new hosts to increase genetic diversity
     • short life cycle 2-3 weeks
   • Host spectrum
     • Domestic livestock
     • wildlife species
     • host adaptation
     • zooinotic
   • localization
     • Females lay eggs in intestines? have to ensure eggs are excreted somehow.
     • small intestine
       • no preference in localization, spreads through body via blood. This allows worms to spread and replicate without running out of room (attachment places)
       • hypobiotic
         • Worms halt in development to ensure egg survival in environment. 
   • environmental stage
     • Eggs hatch, most conditions are okay, develop in environment until L3 infective stage? then seek out host
     • L1/L2 in egg

3. Epidemiology

   • worldwide occurence
     • worms are able to tolerate many climates, even arid and cold ones?
   • pasture contamination?
   • herd problem?
     • adults are reservoirs
   • easily spread in crowded operations
   • calving season higher occurance
     • Dependent on when eggs are most viable? mild weather/warmer weather vs winter?
   • infects young and adults
     • Should worms try to actively target adult animals? Less likelihood to kill/damage host..less likely to be noticed and treated?
   • transmission to humans
     • water/food contamination with eggs

4. Pathology

   • How pathogenic should these worms be? Goal is not to kill the host..?
   • minor skin irritation
     • lesions from attachment sites
   • Blockages/obstruction
     • dependent on burden
   • Immunology
     • no protective immunity
       • Having low or no immune reaction will make worms less detectable..? Able to spread more efficiently through the host? 
     • general enteritis
       • This depending on how worms enter the host..active penetration?
     • immunoevasion or immunosuppression?
       • antigenic mimicry
       • Humoral response of host affected
         • Blocking eosinophil attachment?
           • Eosinophil attachment is typical host response against helminths.
       • presentation of anti-inflammatory cytokines?