Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood and PCR tests to diagnose Strongyloides infection in dogs
By Buonfrate, Dora et al.Ā·Published in Parasitology researchĀ·2017Ā·Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, ItalyĀ·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Serological and molecular tests for the diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Five dogs from the same kennel in Italy were found to have a Strongyloides stercoralis infection, which can cause serious health issues. The dogs were diagnosed after larvae were detected in their feces. To confirm the infection, blood and tissue samples were tested using two different blood tests and a specialized PCR test. The blood test (IFAT) was positive for all dogs, while another test (ELISA) showed mixed results. The PCR test was successful in identifying the infection in all fecal samples. These findings suggest that certain human diagnostic methods could also be effective for diagnosing this parasite in dogs.
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Abstract
Strongyloides stercoralis can cause severe infection both in humans and dogs. Coproparasitological examination has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of this parasite; hence, different diagnostic techniques have been implemented. However, serology and molecular methods have been assessed almost exclusively in humans. In this study, two serologic assays and a real-time PCR (RT-PCR), routinely used for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis in humans, have been tested for the diagnosis in dogs. Five dogs living in the same kennel in Bari, southern Italy, were diagnosed with S. stercoralis infection by detection of larvae in fecal samples processed by the Baermann method. Serum, fecal, and tissue (lungs, scraping of intestinal tract) samples from the same dogs were tested with two serologic assays (commercial ELISA, in-house IFAT) and with an in-house RT-PCR, routinely used for diagnosis in humans. IFAT was positive in all serum samples, ELISA in 3/7 (42.8%) samples. RT-PCR was positive in all pre-treatment fecal samples, in all fecal debris, and in intestinal scraping (three samples from the same deceased dog). The results suggest that IFAT and RT-PCR techniques routinely used for S. stercoralis diagnosis in humans could be useful for the diagnosis of the infection in dogs.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28493000/