Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First confirmed fatal abdominal angiostrongyliasis in a 4-month-old
By Alfaro-Alarcón, Alejandro et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2015·Departamento de Patologia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First report of a naturally patent infection of Angiostrongylus costaricensis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old puppy was brought to the vet with severe abdominal issues, including intestinal perforation and peritonitis, which is inflammation of the abdominal lining. Tests revealed that the puppy was infected with a parasite called Angiostrongylus costaricensis, which can cause serious health problems. Unfortunately, despite the vet's efforts, the puppy did not survive. This case highlights the potential risk of this parasite in dogs, suggesting they could spread it in urban areas.
People also search for: puppy abdominal pain · dog intestinal parasites · Angiostrongylus costaricensis in dogs
Abstract
Angiostrongylus costaricensis is the zoonotic agent of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in several countries in North and South America. Rodents are recognized as the main definitive hosts of A. costaricensis, but other wildlife species can develop patent infections. Although, several human cases have been described in the literature, the role of domestic animals in the epidemiology of the infection is not clear. Here we review the literature available on A. costaricensis in mammals and describe the first confirmed fatal case of abdominal angiostrongyliasis in a 4-month-old dog, presented with intestinal perforation, peritonitis and faecal shedding of first-stage larvae. Parasite identity was confirmed by morphology, histology and molecular characterization of target genes. This is the first record of a naturally infected dog acting as a definitive host for A. costaricensis. These data suggest that dogs may potentially spread this parasite in urbanized areas.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26321134/