Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eye swelling and irritation from Onchocerca parasite in dogs in Greece
By Komnenou, Anastasia et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2002·Clinic of Surgery·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Subconjunctival filariasis due to Onchocerca sp. in dogs: report of 23 cases in Greece.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Greece developed eye problems, including swelling around the eyes, discomfort, sensitivity to light, and discharge. Upon examination, veterinarians found nodules in the eye area that contained parasitic worms. These were surgically removed, and tests confirmed they were caused by a type of parasite called Onchocerca. This case highlights a significant number of similar infections in dogs from the same region, showing that these parasites can cause serious eye issues.
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Abstract
In the present study, we describe a series of 23 cases of ocular subconjunctival parasitic granulomas in dogs, admitted to the Clinic of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, between 1997 and 2000. The ophthalmic manifestations in all animals were periorbital swelling, discomfort, photophobia, conjunctival congestion, and discharge. A more detailed examination revealed the presence of periocular masses (nodules) on the subconjunctival bulbar space. Granulomatous or cyst-like formations were extracted surgically, and were found to contain thread-like nematode parasites. A histologic and parasitologic examination of tissues and parasites was carried out. Diagnosis of parasitic granulomas was made and the parasite was identified as Onchocerca sp. This is the largest series of cases reported of aberrant Onchocerca infections in dogs coming from one geographic location.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12071870/