Metastrongylosis

Metastrongylosis is a parasitic disease that affects wild boars and pigs which live outdoors.^[1] It is caused by various species of roundworms of the genus Metastrongylus.^[2] A handful of cases of metastrongylosis have been reported in humans.^[3]

Metastrongylosis
Specialty	Infectious diseases, helminthologist

Metastrongylus species have a life cycle which involves earthworms as an intermediate host.^[4] Pigs root for earthworms in soil, and ingest the Metastrongylus larvae which are infesting the earthworms.^[2] The larvae migrate to the lungs, and cause the pig to cough and have difficulty breathing.^[4]