The worm can survive in these nodules for up to two years, laying eggs through a small opening in the nodule which are swallowed and passed out in the faeces.
Dung beetles ingest spirocerca eggs present in the faeces and the immature larvae hatch inside the dung beetle. Dogs are infected when they eat infected dung beetles. The dung beetles usually associated with spirocerca infections are only about 6mm in length and are not the large, conspicuous dung beetles we are familiar with.
Once the beetle has been ingested by a dog, the larvae emerge in its stomach. The larvae burrow through the stomach wall, causing intense discomfort and enter blood vessels around the organ. The larvae migrate upstream within the walls of the blood vessels until they reach the large artery which leaves the heart, known as the aorta. The larvae live the wall of the aorta for a few months, maturing into young adults and causing a weakening of the aortic wall, otherwise known as an aneurysm.
The young adult worms then migrate directly to the oesophagus, which lies in close proximity to the aorta. The worms have also been known to migrate to other locations in the body, including the spinal cord. Once inside the oesophagus, the worms form nodules in the oesophageal wall, mating, laying eggs and starting the life cycle over again.
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