Dirofilaria immitis (Dog heartworms)

This nematode infests the pulmonary artery and heart, and is transmitted by mosquitos. The natural final hosts are carnivorous animals. In cases of human infection, the hosts are, for unknown reasons, mostly over-40-years-old adults. Some unlucky persons received surgery because a shadow of the nematode was misinterpreted as lung cancer or tuberculosis on chest X-rays.