Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Filarial worm infections found in dogs in central Italy for first time
By Macchioni, Fabio et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2020·Department of Veterinary Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine filarial infections in an area of Central Italy (Tuscany-Latium border) historically free from the disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 55 out of 363 dogs tested positive for filarial infections in a region of central Italy that was previously free from these parasites. The most common type detected was Dirofilaria immitis, which can cause heartworm disease, affecting 25 dogs. Another type, D. repens, was found in 27 dogs, while a third type was present in just 3 dogs. This information is important for dog owners in the area, as it highlights the need for awareness and preventive measures against these infections.
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Abstract
This paper reports the presence of various species of filarial nematodes in dogs in an area of central Italy at the border between two regions (Tuscany-Latium), which had previously been free of infection and for which there are no epidemiological data in the literature. Blood and serum samples from a total of 363 adult dogs were collected during in 2016/17 and 2018/19 in the provinces of Grosseto (Tuscany) and Viterbo (Latium). The dogs were of different breeds or mixed breeds, randomly selected, and living in public kennels or privately owned. Of the 363 samples tested, 55 dogs were positive to Knott's test for microfilariae (prevalence 15.1%; 95% confidence interval: 11.5-18.8%). Dirofilaria immitis was found in 25 cases (prevalence 6.9%; 95% CI 4.3-9.5%), D. repens in 27 (7.4%, 95% CI 4.7-10.1%) and Acanthocheilonema reconditum in 3 (0.8%, 95% CI 0.1-1.7%). Out of 55 dogs, only four were infested with both D. immitis and D. repens (1.1%, 95% CI 0.001-2.2%).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32448535/