Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Filarial parasite infections found in 5.9% of dogs in Lusaka Zambia
By Siwila, Joyce et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2015·Department of Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Filarial infections in domestic dogs in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 272 dogs in Lusaka, Zambia, were tested for filarial infections, which are common parasites. Out of these dogs, 16 (about 6%) had a specific type of filaria called Acanthocheilonema reconditum, while 10 dogs tested positive for a different parasite, Dirofilaria immitis, but no microfilariae (young parasites) were found. This means that while some dogs had filarial infections, the exact impact of Dirofilaria immitis is still uncertain. More research is needed to understand how these infections affect dogs and if they can pose a risk to humans.
People also search for: dog parasites Zambia · filarial infection symptoms in dogs · Dirofilaria immitis treatment for dogs
Abstract
Filariae are common parasites of dogs in many parts of the world, but little is known about the status of these infections in sub-Saharan Africa. A study was carried out to determine the occurrence and species of filariae among 272 dogs in Lusaka, Zambia. Giemsa stained blood smear and Knott's concentration methods revealed microfilariae in 16 (5.9%) of the dogs. PCR confirmed that most of these dogs had Acanthocheilonema reconditum infection. Ten (4.0%) of the examined dogs were positive for Dirofilaria immitis circulating antigen (by DiroCHEK(®) test), but D. immitis microfilariae were not identified in any of the dogs and the status of this infection remains unclear. Further studies are needed to explore the occurrence of filariae in Zambian dogs and the zoonotic potential for humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25944406/