Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in Zambia died after heavy schistosome infection in liver and gut
By Chiti, L et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2000·School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Natural infection with schistosomes of the Schistosoma haematobium group in a dog in Zambia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A Jack Russell dog in Zambia was brought to the vet after experiencing retching for four days, but sadly, he passed away shortly after. A post-mortem examination revealed a severe infection with schistosomes, which are parasitic worms. The dog's liver was enlarged, and there were signs of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. The vet found numerous schistosome eggs and worms in the dog's veins and various organs. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the infection, the dog did not survive.
People also search for: dog retching and vomiting · Jack Russell schistosomiasis · dog liver disease symptoms
Abstract
Post-mortem examination of an adult male Jack Russell dog from Zambia revealed that it was heavily infected with schistosomes. The dog had been admitted, with a history of retching, 4 days before its death. At necropsy, the liver was found to be enlarged, with multiple pin-point yellowish-white foci scattered diffusely throughout the organ. Multiple pin-point recent and old haemorrhages were seen on the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in the stomach and proximal duodenum. Large numbers of schistosome worm pairs and eggs were found in all mesenteric, gastric and hepatic veins. Histological examination of the intestines, mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, spleen, pancreas, stomach and lungs revealed numerous strongly fibrotic, encapsulated, epithelioid-giant cell granulomata containing dead, degenerating and viable eggs. A few examples of the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon were also detected. The eggs collected at necropsy had a terminal spine and an average length and breadth of 187.6+/-14.1 microm and 57. 3+/-4.1 microm, respectively. DNA analysis of female worms indicated that the schistosomes were either Schistosoma haematobium or a hybrid of Schistosoma mattheei and S. haematobium.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10684694/