Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dirofilaria repens in dogs and cat - symptoms and treatment
By Tarello, W·Published in Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2003·Studio Veterinario Spina, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective study on the presence and pathogenicity of Dirofilaria repens in 5 dogs and 1 cat from Aosta Vally.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Five dogs and one cat in Italy were diagnosed with a skin infection caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria repens, which is usually found in other regions. The dogs showed symptoms like red, itchy skin, hair loss, and bumps. They also had a concurrent infection called babesiosis, which complicated their condition. After treating the underlying issues and using specific medications to kill the adult parasites and their larvae, all the pets made a full recovery. This case highlights the importance of being aware of unusual infections, especially as pet travel increases.
People also search for: dog skin infection treatment · cat parasite symptoms · itchy skin in dogs · Dirofilaria repens in pets · babesiosis in dogs
Abstract
Aosta Valley is the only region of Italy free of reported human cases of dirofilariosis due to Dirofilaria repens. Nonetheless, the retrospective analysis of five locally acquired D. repens infections in dogs, seems to indicate that an animal reservoir exist in the area. A feline case imported from Camargue, France, is also described. The most common dermatological signs were erythema, alopecia, crusting, papulae and nodules. All patients had lesional pruritus and dogs were affected by concurrent babesiosis. Eradication of the underlying condition, followed by a therapy with the specific adulticide and microfilaricide drugs led to a complete recovery of microfilaraemia. Increased pet travel and ecological changes are extending the ranges of vector borne, parasitic and zoonotic diseases. This fact pose a unique diagnostic challenge for the veterinarian, since the index of suspicion may be absent outside endemic areas.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14593932/