Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neuroangiostrongyliasis in Australian dogs diagnosed by new qPCR test
By Lee, Rogan et al.·Published in Parasitology·2021·Westmead Hospital, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Further studies of neuroangiostrongyliasis (rat lungworm disease) in Australian dogs: 92 new cases (2010-2020) and results for a novel, highly sensitive qPCR assay.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that neuroangiostrongyliasis, also known as rat lungworm disease, is becoming more common in dogs in Sydney, Australia. Dogs affected ranged from 7 weeks to 14 years old, with most cases occurring in puppies under 6 months. Symptoms can include neurological issues due to inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Researchers used a new test to diagnose the disease, which showed a high rate of positive results. This disease is a growing concern for dog owners in the area, and early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
People also search for: dog neurological symptoms · rat lungworm disease in dogs · puppy brain inflammation treatment
Abstract
The principal aim of this study was to optimize the diagnosis of canine neuroangiostrongyliasis (NA). In total, 92 cases were seen between 2010 and 2020. Dogs were aged from 7 weeks to 14 years (median 5 months), with 73/90 (81%) less than 6 months and 1.7 times as many males as females. The disease became more common over the study period. Most cases (86%) were seen between March and July. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was obtained from the cisterna magna in 77 dogs, the lumbar cistern in f5, and both sites in 3. Nucleated cell counts for 84 specimens ranged from 1 to 146 150 cells μL-1 (median 4500). Percentage eosinophils varied from 0 to 98% (median 83%). When both cisternal and lumbar CSF were collected, inflammation was more severe caudally. Seventy-three CSF specimens were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing for antibodies against A. cantonensis; 61 (84%) tested positive, titres ranging from <100 to ⩾12 800 (median 1600). Sixty-one CSF specimens were subjected to real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) testing using a new protocol targeting a bioinformatically-informed repetitive genetic target; 53/61 samples (87%) tested positive, CT values ranging from 23.4 to 39.5 (median 30.0). For 57 dogs, it was possible to compare CSF ELISA serology and qPCR. ELISA and qPCR were both positive in 40 dogs, in 5 dogs the ELISA was positive while the qPCR was negative, in 9 dogs the qPCR was positive but the ELISA was negative, while in 3 dogs both the ELISA and qPCR were negative. NA is an emerging infectious disease of dogs in Sydney, Australia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32829721/