Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye worm infection in dogs found for first time in northern Czech
By Jirku, Milan et al.·Published in Folia parasitologica·2020·Institute of Parasitology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine thelaziosis in the Czech Republic: the northernmost autochthonous occurrence of the eye nematode Thelazia callipaeda Railliet et Henry, 1910 in Europe.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog in Prague was found to have an eye infection caused by a type of worm called Thelazia callipaeda, which is spread by flies and can affect both pets and humans. This is the first recorded case of this eye worm in this part of Europe, indicating that it is spreading. The dog had never traveled outside the Czech Republic, suggesting that local animals may also be at risk. It's important for pet owners to be aware of this infection and discuss any eye problems with their veterinarian, especially if they notice unusual symptoms in their pets.
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Abstract
The eye nematode Thelazia callipaeda Railliet et Henry, 1910 (Spirurida: Thelaziidae) is a vector-borne zoonotic nematode infecting a range of wild and domestic carnivores as well as humans. It is considered to be a causative agent of emerging and neglected disease and currently invades central part of Europe. Nematodes were collected from the eye of a dog living in Prague, which never travelled outside the Czech Republic. The nematodes were identified based on their morphology and partial sequence of the cox1 gene as T. callipaeda haplotype 1. This finding represents the northernmost record of autochthonous canine thelaziosis in Europe. The insufficient control of imported animals as well as free movement of dogs and wild carnivores within Europe probably facilitates spreading of T. callipaeda throughout the continent. To better understand the spreading of T. callipaeda and to prevent its zoonotic transmissions, information about the risk of this infection in newly invaded countries should be disseminated not only among veterinarians and physicians, but also within the community of pet owners and hunters.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32367814/