Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ferret in Europe with heartworm larvae in brain and lungs
By Molnár, V et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2010·Veterinary and Conservation Department·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Autochthonous Dirofilaria immitis infection in a ferret with aberrant larval migration in Europe.
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male ferret was brought in because he was unusually sleepy and not responding well. Despite attempts to treat him, his condition worsened, and he was ultimately euthanized. During the examination, veterinarians discovered heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) in his lungs and brain, marking the first known case of this type of infection in a ferret in Europe. Unfortunately, the ferret did not recover due to the severity of the infection and its effects on his nervous system.
People also search for: ferret lethargy causes · heartworm in ferrets · treatment for ferret somnolence
Abstract
A two-year-old male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, for investigation of somnolence. Following unsuccessful therapeutic attempts, the ferret was euthanased and a male Dirofilaria immitis worm was found in the pulmonary artery and a female D. immitis specimen in the subdural space of the cranial cavity. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first European record of D. immitis infection in a ferret, and the first case in which aberrant larval migration and consequent central nervous system signs were observed in a ferret in the course of D. immitis infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20626785/