''Capillaria'' is a genus of
nematodes in the family
Capillariidae (or, according to classifications, in the family
Trichinellidae).
Since the
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
of the
Capillariidae is disputed, species are included within the single
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
''Capillaria'' or 22 different
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
(''Amphibiocapillaria, Aonchotheca, Baruscapillaria, Calodium, Capillaria, Capillostrongyloides, Crocodylocapillaria, Echinocoleus,
Eucoleus
''Eucoleus'' is a genus of nematodes belonging to the family Capillariidae.
The genus has cosmopolitan distribution
In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the worl ...
, Freitascapillaria, Gessyella, Liniscus, Paracapillaria, Paracapillaroides, Pearsonema, Paratrichosoma, Pseudocapillaria, Piscicapillaria, Pseudocapillaroides, Pterothominx, Schulmanela'', and ''Tenoranema'').
[Moravec, FrantiĊĦek 2001: Trichinelloid Nematodes parasitic in cold-blooded vertebrates. Academia, Praha, 432 pp. (list of genera in pages 30-32) ()]
Some species parasitic in fish, previously classified within ''Capillaria'', are now included in ''
Huffmanela'' (family
Trichosomoididae).
Old literature, and sometimes modern medical literature, use ''Capillaria'' as a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
for
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
included in all these
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
.
The term
Capillariasis is generally used for diseases produced by species of ''Capillaria'', even if the species is now placed in another genus.
Species

Species in the genus ''Capillaria'' include (among hundreds of described species):
* ''
Capillaria aerophila
''Capillaria aerophila'' is a nematode parasite found in the respiratory tract of foxes, dogs, and various other carnivorous mammals. A few cases of human infestation have also been reported. Though it is sometimes called a "lungworm", this t ...
''; modern name ''Eucoleus aerophilus''; a parasite of the respiratory system of foxes and other mammals
* ''
Capillaria gastrica''; a parasite of rodents
* ''
Capillaria hepatica''; modern name ''Calodium hepaticum''; cause of
hepatic capillariasis in humans
* ''
Capillaria philippinensis''; modern name ''Paracapillaria philippinensis''; cause of
intestinal capillariasis in humans
* ''
Capillaria plica''; modern name ''Pearsonema plica''; a parasite of the urinary system of dogs and other mammals
* ''
Capillaria feliscati''; modern name ''Pearsonema feliscati''; a parasite of the urinary system of cats and other mammals
See also
*
Capillariasis, a disease caused by some ''Capillaria'' species
References
Enoplea genera
Parasitic nematodes of mammals
{{Parasitic animal-stub