Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lungworm infections in dogs in Germany from 2007 to 2009
By Barutzki, Dieter & Schaper, Roland·Published in Parasitology research·2009·Veterinary Laboratory Freiburg, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Natural infections of Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis in dogs in Germany (2007-2009).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 13% of dogs in Germany showed signs of respiratory or circulatory issues, bleeding disorders, or neurological problems due to infections with lungworms. Specifically, 60 dogs had Angiostrongylus vasorum and 49 had Crenosoma vulpis, both of which can cause serious health issues. The infections were spread across various regions, with the highest numbers in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. This suggests that lungworm infections are common in these areas, and pet owners should be aware of the symptoms and consider testing if their dog shows any related health issues.
People also search for: dog coughing lungworm infection · dog bleeding disorder causes · respiratory problems in dogs Germany
Abstract
In order to assess the occurrence and regional geographical distribution of Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis in Germany, faecal samples of 810 dogs with clinical symptoms of respiratory and circulatory disease, bleeding disorder and/or neurological signs were collected from September 2007 to March 2009. The zinc chloride/sodium chloride flotation and Baermann funnel technique were used to examine the samples for presence of lungworm larvae. Infections with lungworms were diagnosed in 105 (13.0%) of the examined dogs. A. vasorum and C. vulpis were found in 60 (7.4%) and 49 (6.0%) faecal samples, respectively. 33 A. vasorum- and 12 C. vulpis-positive dogs were located in Baden-Württemberg, 13 and 12 in North Rhine-Westphalia, 3 and 4 in Bavaria, 1 and 7 in Rhineland-Palatinate, 7 and 4 in Saarland, 1 and 2 in Saxony, respectively. In Brandenburg only 2 dogs with A. vasorum and in Hesse a total of 5 dogs with C. vulpis were detected. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Thuringia only 1 dog with C. vulpis was detected at a time. 4 dogs were coinfected with A. vasorum and C. vulpis. These surprisingly high prevalence rates indicate that both parasites are endemic in Germany.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19575224/