Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with widespread organ damage from Heterobilharzia americana
By Corapi, Wayne V et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2011·Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multi-organ involvement of Heterobilharzia americana infection in a dog presented for systemic mineralization.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old dog from Texas was brought in for unexplained systemic mineralization, which means there were signs of abnormal calcium deposits in the body. After the dog passed away, a thorough examination revealed a severe infection caused by a parasite called Heterobilharzia americana, affecting multiple organs including the liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, and kidneys. The infection was misinterpreted as soft-tissue mineralization on imaging tests due to the calcification of the parasite's eggs. This case highlights the importance of considering this underdiagnosed infection in dogs, especially in regions where it is more common.
People also search for: dog systemic mineralization · Heterobilharzia americana infection in dogs · Texas dog parasite symptoms
Abstract
Canine schistosomiasis due to Heterobilharzia americana is a clinically underdiagnosed disease in dogs, which is found primarily in the Gulf Coast and south Atlantic region of the United States. A 3-year-old dog from Texas with a clinical diagnosis of systemic mineralization of unknown origin in the absence of evidence of hypercalcemia was found at necropsy to have severe disseminated H. americana infection involving the liver, pancreas, small and large intestine, lungs, and kidneys. Calcification of many of the large number of H. americana eggs gave the false impression of soft-tissue mineralization on radiographic and ultrasonographic images. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of DNA derived from formalin-fixed sections of small intestine and liver, using primers specific for a 487-base pair segment of the H. americana small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, confirmed the presence of H. americana.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21908333/