Dipetalonemiasis

a helminthic disease of camels; caused by nematodes of the genus Dipetalonema. The disease has been recorded in southeastern and northern Africa and in India; in the USSR it is found in the republics of Middle Asia, in Kazakhstan, and in the Tuva ASSR. In certain regions, as much as one-half of the camel population is affected. Members of the genus Dipetalonema are large helminths, milk-white in color, 75-215 mm long. The parasite’s cycle of development has not been studied. In parasitizing the blood vessels of the lungs, testicles, uterus, and heart, the helminths cause emaciation of the animals and sometimes abortion and loss of animals. Treatment and prophylaxis have not been developed.