101
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Development of a rapid diagnostic kit that uses an immunochromatographic device to detect antibodies in human sparganosis. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2014; 21:1360-3. [PMID: 24990912 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00149-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A diagnostic kit using an immunochromatographic device was developed to replace the time-consuming immunodiagnostic methods for human sparganosis. The kit was found to be faster and easier to use than an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and showed higher sensitivity and specificity. It will be useful for the laboratory diagnosis of hospitalized cases of sparganosis.
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102
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Franchini D, Giannelli A, Di Paola G, Cortes H, Cardoso L, Lia RP, Campbell BE, Dantas-Torres F, Lenoci D, Assad EA, Ricciardi M, Valastro C, Cavaliere L, Di Bello A, Otranto D. Image diagnosis of zoonotic onchocercosis by Onchocerca lupi. Vet Parasitol 2014; 203:91-5. [PMID: 24685021 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Onchocerca lupi, a zoonotic nematode infecting the eyes of carnivores, has been increasingly reported in dogs from Europe and the USA. In order to improve the current status of knowledge on this neglected filarioid, diagnostic imaging tools (i.e., ultrasound scan, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) are herein used to diagnose canine onchocercosis in two dogs, which scored positive for O. lupi microfilariae at the skin snip test and to assess the anatomical location of the nematode within the ocular apparatus. Results indicate that ultrasound tools are useful to address the diagnosis of O. lupi in dogs and to evaluate the localization of nodules or cysts containing the adult nematode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Franchini
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessio Giannelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Di Paola
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Helder Cortes
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Laboratório de Parasitologia Victor Caeiro, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Luís Cardoso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal; Parasite Disease Group, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal
| | - Riccardo Paolo Lia
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy; Aggeu Magalhães Research Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Carmela Valastro
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Cavaliere
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Bello
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
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103
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Hiestand SJ, Nielsen CK, Jiménez FA. Epizootic and zoonotic helminths of the bobcat (Lynx rufus) in Illinois and a comparison of its helminth component communities across the American Midwest. Parasite 2014; 21:4. [PMID: 24521984 PMCID: PMC3923260 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2014005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 6257 helminths of 19 taxa were recovered from the digestive tract and lungs of 67 bobcats in Illinois. Infections caused by Alaria mustelae, Diphyllobothrium latum, and Macracanthorhynchus ingens are reported for the first time in bobcats. From all the taxa recovered, only three species occurred in high prevalence and caused intense infections: Taenia rileyi, Alaria marcianae, and Toxocara cati, with prevalence and mean intensity of 70% and 6; 42% and 193, and 25% and 14 individuals, respectively. Prevalence lower than 15% of 14 helminth species suggests bobcats are not continuously exposed to infective stages of a single parasite, and may be exposed to a large variety of generalists during their lifespan. No significant difference in parasite species according to host sex or age was detected, except for Diphyllobothrium spp., which were found more frequently in females and in trapped bobcats, and the hookworm, Ancylostoma caninum, which infected juveniles more frequently. Average species richness per infracommunity was 2.4 (±1.2), and the parasite component community showed low qualitative similarity with neighbor communities. The taxa A. caninum, Alaria spp., Diphyllobothrium spp., Paragonimus kellicotti, and T. cati are etiological agents of epizootic and zoonotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby J. Hiestand
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Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
62901-6501 USA
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Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
62901 USA
| | - Clayton K. Nielsen
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Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
62901 USA
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Department of Forestry and Center for Ecology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
62901-4619 USA
| | - F. Agustín Jiménez
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Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois
62901-6501 USA
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104
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Mas-Coma S, Agramunt VH, Valero MA. Neurological and ocular fascioliasis in humans. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2014; 84:27-149. [PMID: 24480313 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800099-1.00002-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fascioliasis is a food-borne parasitic disease caused by the trematode species Fasciola hepatica, distributed worldwide, and Fasciola gigantica, restricted to given regions of Africa and Asia. This disease in humans shows an increasing importance, which relies on its recent widespread emergence related to climate and global changes and also on its pathogenicity in the invasive, biliary, and advanced chronic phases in the human endemic areas, mainly of developing countries. In spite of the large neurological affection capacity of Fasciola, this important pathogenic aspect of the disease has been pronouncedly overlooked in the past decades and has not even appear within the numerous reviews on the parasitic diseases of the central nervous system. The aim of this wide retrospective review is an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of neurological and ocular fascioliasis caused by these two fasciolid species. The terms of neurofascioliasis and ophthalmofascioliasis are restricted to cases in which the direct affection of the central nervous system or the eye by a migrant ectopic fasciolid fluke is demonstrated by an aetiological diagnosis of recovered flukes after surgery or spontaneous moving-out of the fluke through the orbit. Cases in which the ectopic fluke is not recovered and the symptoms cannot be explained by an indirect affection at distance may also be included in these terms. Neurofascioliasis and ophthalmofascioliasis cases are reviewed and discussed. With regard to fascioliasis infection giving an indirect rise to neurological affection, the distribution and frequency of cases are analysed according to geography, sex, and age. Minor symptoms and major manifestations are discussed. Three main types of cases are distinguished depending on the characteristics of their manifestations: genuine neurological, meningeal, and psychiatric or neuropsychic. The impressive symptoms and signs appearing in each type of these cases are included. Brain examination techniques and neuroimaging useful for the diagnosis of neurological cases are exposed. Within fascioliasis infection indirectly causing ocular manifestations, case distribution and frequency are similarly analysed. A short analysis is devoted to clarify the first reports of a human eye infection. The affection of related and close organs is discussed by differentiating between cases of the dorsal spine, pulmonary manifestations, heart and vessel affection, findings in blood vessels, skin and dermatologic reactions, cases of ectopic mature flukes, and upper body locations. The clinical complexity of the puzzling polymorphisms, the disconcerting multifocality of the manifestations, and their changes along the evolution of the disease in the same patient, as well as the differences between the clinical pictures shown by different patients, are highlighted. The many syndromes involved are enumerated. The pathogenic and physiological mechanisms underlying neurofascioliasis and ophthalmofascioliasis caused by ectopic flukes and the physiopathogenic processes indirectly affecting the central nervous system and causing genuine neurological, meningeal, psychiatric, and ocular manifestations are discussed. The diagnosis of neurological and ophthalmologic fascioliasis is analysed in depth, including clinical and paraclinical diagnosis, eosinophilia in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, differential diagnosis from other parasitic infections such as helminthiases and myiases, an update of human fascioliasis diagnosis, and fluke and/or fluke egg recovery by surgery. Diagnostic analyses with faecal and blood samples for fascioliasis patients are updated. Therapy for patients with major neurological manifestations includes both antiparasitic treatments and anti-inflammatory therapeutics. Prognosis in fascioliasis patients with neurological manifestations is discussed, with emphasis on sequelae and fatal cases, and the care of patients with ophthalmologic manifestations is added. Conclusions indicate that neurological cases are overlooked in human fascioliasis endemic areas and also in developing countries in general. In remote zones, rural health centres and small hospitals in or near the human endemic areas do not dispose of the appropriate equipments for neurological analyses. Moreover, physicians may not be aware about the potential relationship between liver fluke infection and neurological implications, and such cases may therefore remain misdiagnosed, even in developed countries. Priority should henceforth be given to the consideration of neurological and ocular affection in human endemic areas, and efforts should be implemented to assess their characteristics and frequency. Their impact should also be considered when estimating the global burden of fascioliasis.
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Key Words
- Clinical polymorphisms, multifocality, manifestation changes, and syndromes
- Diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, sequelae, and fatal cases
- Distribution and frequency
- Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica
- Human fascioliasis
- Minor and major symptoms and signs
- Neurofascioliasis and ophthalmofascioliasis
- Neurological and ocular affections
- Neurological, meningeal, and psychiatric manifestations
- Ocular disorders
- Pathogenic and physiological mechanisms
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105
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Mutafchiev Y, Dantas-Torres F, Giannelli A, Abramo F, Papadopoulos E, Cardoso L, Cortes H, Otranto D. Redescription of Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) with histopathological observations. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:309. [PMID: 24499611 PMCID: PMC3818983 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Onchocerca lupi is a dog parasite of increasing zoonotic concern, with new human cases diagnosed in Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, and the United States. Information about the morphology of this nematode is scant and a detailed re-description of this species is overdue. In addition, histopathological data of potential usefulness for the identification of O. lupi infections are provided. METHODS Male and female nematodes, collected from the connective tissue of a dog, were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an histological evaluation was performed on biopsy samples from periocular tissues. RESULTS The morphological identification was confirmed by molecular amplification and partial sequencing of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene. This study provides the first comprehensive morphological and morphometric description of O. lupi from a dog based on light microscopy, SEM, molecular characterization, and histological observations. CONCLUSIONS Data herein presented contribute to a better understanding of this little known parasitic zoonosis, whose impact on human and animal health is still underestimated. The presence of granulomatous reactions only around the female adult suggests that the release of microfilariae from the uterus might be the cause of the inflammatory reaction observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasen Mutafchiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Recife Pernambuco, Brazil
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessio Giannelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
| | - Francesca Abramo
- Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elias Papadopoulos
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases and Pathology, Faculty of School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle, University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Luís Cardoso
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- Parasite Disease Group, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cortes
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
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106
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Abstract
Ocular dirofilariasis mostly presents as a subconjunctival or eyelid lesion.[1] Intraocular dirofilarial infestation is rare.[23] We report a case of a young woman who was accidentally detected to have a live motile worm in the anterior segment in one eye and a cystic lesion on the optic disc in the other eye. To our knowledge, bilateral intraocular dirofilariasis has never been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viney Gupta
- Department of Ophthalmology Dr. Rajendra Prasad Center for Ophthalmic Sciences, New Delhi, India
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107
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Khelil MB, Allouche M, Banasr A, Gloulou F, Benzarti A, Zhioua M, Haouet S, Hamdoun M. Sudden death due to hydatid disease: a six-year study in the northern part of Tunisia. J Forensic Sci 2013; 58:1163-1170. [PMID: 23822140 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Human ecchinococcosis also known as hydatid disease is a zoonotic infection caused by the tapeworm Ecchinococcus with 2-3 Million cases worldwide. We hereby report a 6 years period study of Sudden death due to hydatidosis aiming to analyze the epidemiological criteria, death circumstances, and autopsy observations attributed to hydatid disease. During the past 6 years, 26 death cases were due to hydatid disease. Our analysis shows that the sex ratio (M/F) was 1.6, the mean age was 31-year old, and 65% of the subjects lived in rural places. In 17 cases, death occurred in the victim's place, five victims died after a heavy exercise, and in two cases, death occurred immediately after trauma. At autopsy, 91% of the cysts were found in the liver. In three cases, death followed a septic state, and in two cases, it followed an acute respiratory failure. Death was attributed to anaphylaxis in 17 cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Ben Khelil
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Allouche
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Ahmed Banasr
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Fatma Gloulou
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Anis Benzarti
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Mongi Zhioua
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Slim Haouet
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
- Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital La Rabta, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
| | - Moncef Hamdoun
- Service de Médecine Légale de Tunis, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 138 Boulevard du 9 avril 1938, Tunis, 1006, Tunisia
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, 1007, Tunisia
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108
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Soares C, Ramalho Sousa S, Anastácio S, Goreti Matias M, Marquês I, Mascarenhas S, João Vieira M, de Carvalho LM, Otranto D. Feline thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda in Portugal. Vet Parasitol 2013; 196:528-31. [PMID: 23611041 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2013.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Revised: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a nematode that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and humans causing mild to severe symptoms (e.g., conjunctivitis, lacrimation, epiphora, blepharospasm, keratitis and even corneal ulceration) in infected animals. This report describes an autochthonous case of thelaziosis in a cat from the central region of Portugal, representing the most occidental record of thelaziosis in Europe. Adult nematodes recovered from alive animal were morphological identified as T. callipaeda. A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox 1) from nematode specimens was amplified by PCR. Cox1 sequences of all specimens were identical to T. callipaeda haplotype 1. Additionally to these findings, a recent description of thelaziosis in the northern region of Portugal suggests that T. callipaeda has successfully established in Portugal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Soares
- Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra, Portugal
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109
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Traversa D. Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:59. [PMID: 23497511 PMCID: PMC3631128 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Modifications in climatic conditions, movements of hosts and goods, changes in animal phenology and human behaviour and increase of wildlife, are presently concurring in the geographic spread of vectors and cardio-respiratory nematodes, e.g. Dirofilaria immitis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Capillaria aerophila. All these factors may also influence dispersion and clinical significance of fleas, thus posing relevant challenges in those regions where other parasites are emerging at the same time. Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides canis and Pulex irritans cause discomfort, nuisance, allergic reactions, anaemia, and may transmit several pathogens, some of them are of importance for public health. The present article reviews the importance of fleas in small animal practice and their sanitary relevance for dogs, cats and humans, and discusses current control methods in the present era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes, towards a possible changing perspective for controlling key parasites affecting companion animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Traversa
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
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110
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Chopra R, Bhatti SM, Mohan S, Taneja N. Dirofilaria in the anterior chamber: a rare occurrence. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2013; 19:349-51. [PMID: 22837635 PMCID: PMC3401811 DOI: 10.4103/0974-9233.97965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dirofilariasis is a parasitic infection of the carvivores that may present as a zoonotic infestation in humans. Systemic involvement in man is subcutaneous, pulmonary, or ocular. We report a rare occurrence of ocular dirofilariasis in a 25-year-old male patient who presented with pain and redness in the eye. A live, white, coiled, and highly motile worm was present in the anterior chamber. The worm, however, could not be detected in the anterior chamber, posterior segment, or the angle of the anterior chamber when the patient was taken to the operating room for surgical removal of the worm. The patient was made to lie prone till the worm reappeared in the anterior chamber and was removed by paracentesis. The worm was identified as Dirofilaria repens on the basis of microscopic and histopathological examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupali Chopra
- Department of Ophthalmology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
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111
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Human ocular onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida, Onchocercidae) in Iran. J Helminthol 2013; 88:250-5. [DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x13000060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCases of canine onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi are increasingly reported from Europe and the western United States of America. The zoonotic role of this parasite had already been suspected in Europe as the clinical signs and histopathology seen in two ocular cases from Albania and the Crimean region were very similar to those of canine ocular onchocerciasis. In the most recent reports of human onchocerciasis, O. lupi has been morphologically and molecularly identified as the causative agent of ocular infestation in two patients from Turkey, and one patient from Tunisia. Here, we report an additional case of nodular lesions involving two, and possibly more, immature worms in a patient from Iran. The parasite was found to belong to the genus Onchocerca based on morphological features and the species was confirmed as O. lupi from a partial sequence analysis of 12S ribosomal DNA.
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112
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Otranto D, Dantas-Torres F, Brianti E, Traversa D, Petrić D, Genchi C, Capelli G. Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:16. [PMID: 23324440 PMCID: PMC3564894 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 01/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Presently, 45% of the total human population of Europe, as well as their domestic and companion animals, are exposed to the risk of vector-borne helminths (VBH) causing diseases. A plethora of intrinsic biological and extrinsic factors affect the relationship among helminths, vectors and animal hosts, in a constantly changing environment. Although canine dirofilarioses by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are key examples of the success of VBH spreading into non-endemic areas, another example is represented by Thelazia callipaeda eyeworm, an emergent pathogen of dogs, cats and humans in several regions of Europe. The recent finding of Onchocerca lupi causing canine and human infestation in Europe and overseas renders the picture of VBH even more complicated. Similarly, tick-transmitted filarioids of the genus Cercopithifilaria infesting the skin of dogs were recently shown to be widespread in Europe. Although for most of the VBH above there is an increasing accumulation of research data on their distribution at national level, the overall impact of the diseases they cause in dogs and humans is not fully recognised in many aspects. This review investigates the reasons underlying the increasing trend in distribution of VBH in Europe and discusses the diagnostic and control strategies currently available. In addition, this article provides the authors' opinion on some topics related to VBH that would deserve further scientific investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
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113
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Abstract
Trichinellosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the nematode Trichinella spp. Neurotrichinellosis represents one of the most important complications of severe trichinellosis in humans and is sometimes fatal, especially when Trichinella spiralis is involved. There are numerous mechanisms responsible for the involvement of the nervous system through direct or indirect involvement of the parasite. In the latter, inflammatory cells, especially eosinophils, appear to play a crucial role. Encephalopathy, neuromuscular disturbances, and ocular involvement represent the most frequent presentations of neurotrichinellosis, with the first being the most responsible for fatalities. The diagnosis is based on imaging (CT or MRI), which shows nodular multifocal hypodensities in serologically positive individuals with relevant epidemiological factors (e.g., consumption of raw pork). However, only direct diagnosis by muscle biopsy can give the absolute certainty of infection. Albendazole and mebendazole are the anthelminthic of choice and should be used with corticosteroids to prevent allergic manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Bruschi
- Department of Translational Research, N.T.M.S., Università di Pisa, Medical School, Pisa, Italy
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114
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Durant JF, Irenge LM, Fogt-Wyrwas R, Dumont C, Doucet JP, Mignon B, Losson B, Gala JL. Duplex quantitative real-time PCR assay for the detection and discrimination of the eggs of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati (Nematoda, Ascaridoidea) in soil and fecal samples. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:288. [PMID: 23216873 PMCID: PMC3533947 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Toxocarosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Toxocara canis (T. canis) and/or Toxocara cati (T. cati), two worldwide distributed roundworms which are parasites of canids and felids, respectively. Infections of humans occur through ingestion of embryonated eggs of T. canis or T. cati, when playing with soils contaminated with dogs or cats feces. Accordingly, the assessment of potential contamination of these areas with these roundworms eggs is paramount. Methods A duplex quantitative real-time PCR (2qPCR) targeting the ribosomal RNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) has been developed and used for rapid and specific identification of T. canis and T. cati eggs in fecal and soil samples. The assay was set up on DNA samples extracted from 53 adult worms including T. canis, T. cati, T. leonina, Ascaris suum (A. suum) and Parascaris equorum (P. equorum). The assay was used to assess the presence of T. cati eggs in several samples, including 12 clean soil samples spiked with eggs of either T. cati or A. suum, 10 actual soil samples randomly collected from playgrounds in Brussels, and fecal samples from cats, dogs, and other animals. 2qPCR results on dogs and cats fecal samples were compared with results from microscopic examination. Results 2qPCR assay allowed specific detection of T. canis and T. cati, whether adult worms, eggs spiked in soil or fecal samples. The 2qPCR limit of detection (LOD) in spiked soil samples was 2 eggs per g of soil for a turnaround time of 3 hours. A perfect concordance was observed between 2qPCR assay and microscopic examination on dogs and cats feces. Conclusion The newly developed 2qPCR assay can be useful for high throughput prospective or retrospective detection of T.canis and/or T. cati eggs in fecal samples as well as in soil samples from playgrounds, parks and sandpits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Francois Durant
- Centre de Technologies Moléculaires Appliquées, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle-aux-Champs, 30 B1.30.24, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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Rodrigues FT, Cardoso L, Coutinho T, Otranto D, Diz-Lopes D. Ocular thelaziosis due to Thelazia callipaeda in a cat from northeastern Portugal. J Feline Med Surg 2012; 14:952-4. [PMID: 22968199 PMCID: PMC11108008 DOI: 10.1177/1098612x12459645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Cases of feline thelaziosis have seldom been published in the scientific literature. We report the first autochthonous case of feline ocular thelaziosis in Portugal caused by Thelazia callipaeda and suggest that this infestation should be included among differential diagnoses of ocular diseases in cats from this country.
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Eberhard ML, Sims AC, Bishop HS, Mathison BA, Hoffman RS. Ocular zoonotic onchocerca infection in a resident of Oregon. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 87:1073-5. [PMID: 23109373 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
A long, slender filarial nematode was removed from the left anterior chamber of a resident of Oregon after several days of pain and blurred vision. The worm was identified as an Onchocerca, but it could not be further identified. This worm is the third zoonotic Onchocerca removed from the anterior chamber and the second case reported from the United States. Cases of zoonotic onchocerciasis continue to garner attention, and those cases affecting the eye are of particular interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Eberhard
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
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Otranto D, Dantas-Torres F, Papadopoulos E, Petrić D, Ćupina AI, Bain O. Tracking the vector of Onchocerca lupi in a rural area of Greece. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 18:1196-200. [PMID: 22709878 PMCID: PMC3376829 DOI: 10.3201/eid1807.ad1807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
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Pimenta P, Cardoso L, Pereira MJ, Maltez L, Coutinho T, Alves MS, Otranto D. Canine ocular thelaziosis caused byThelazia callipaedain Portugal. Vet Ophthalmol 2012; 16:312-5. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01074.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Species diversity of dermal microfilariae of the genus Cercopithifilaria infesting dogs in the Mediterranean region. Parasitology 2012; 140:99-108. [PMID: 22914299 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012001357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Following the recent description of microfilariae of a Cercopithifilaria sp. in a dog from Sicily, Italy, (herein after referred to as Cercopithifilaria sp. I), numerous skin samples were collected from dogs in the Mediterranean region. In addition to Cercopithifilaria sp. I (185·7 ± 7·2 μm long), microfilariae of 2 other species were identified, namely Cercopithifilaria grassii (651·7 ± 23·6 μm long) and a yet undescribed microfilaria, Cercopithifilaria sp. II (264·4 ± 20·2 μm long, with evident lateral alae). The morphological differentiation among the 3 species of dermal microfilariae was confirmed by differences in cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and ribosomal 12S sequences examined (mean level of interspecific pairwise distance of 11·4%, and 17·7%, respectively). Phylogenetic analyses were concordant in clustering these with other sequences of Cercopithifilaria spp. to the exclusion of Dirofilaria spp., Onchocerca spp. and Acanthocheilonema spp. Dermal microfilariae collected (n = 132) were morphologically identified as Cercopithifilaria sp. I (n = 108, 81·8%), Cercopithifilaria sp. II (n = 17, 12·9%), whereas only 7 (5·3%) were identified as C. grassii. Mixed infestations were detected in all sites examined. The great diversity of these neglected filarioids in dogs is of biological interest, considering the complex interactions occurring among hosts, ticks and Cercopithifilaria spp. in different environments.
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Vieira L, Rodrigues FT, Costa A, Diz-Lopes D, Machado J, Coutinho T, Tuna J, Latrofa MS, Cardoso L, Otranto D. First report of canine ocular thelaziosis by Thelazia callipaeda in Portugal. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:124. [PMID: 22720837 PMCID: PMC3431252 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2012] [Accepted: 06/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms are transmitted by the non-biting insect vector Phortica variegata in Europe and infest the conjunctiva(s) of several mammalians, including dogs and humans. Infested hosts might remain asymptomatic or display clinical manifestations characterized by variable degrees of severity. Methods From July to November 2011, nine dogs were detected with eyeworms at two veterinary clinics in Chaves and Bragança (North of Portugal). Nematodes collected from dogs were morphologically and molecularly characterized at species level. Results Nematodes were identified as T. callipaeda. The number of worms collected from each dog ranged from three to 76 (average = 17.9 ± 26.8) and was not associated with the severity of clinical signs. Ocular discharge and conjunctivitis were observed in all dogs and ocular pruritus occurred in six of them. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of a portion of target cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene further identified all nematodes as haplotype 1. Conclusions This is the first report of T. callipaeda and associated ocular disease in dogs from Portugal, suggesting that thelaziosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of canine ocular affections. The risk of the infestation spreading from Spain and France to Portugal, through domestic dogs or wild mammals, is realistic.
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Vieira L, Rodrigues FT, Costa A, Diz-Lopes D, Machado J, Coutinho T, Tuna J, Latrofa MS, Cardoso L, Otranto D. First report of canine ocular thelaziosis by Thelazia callipaeda in Portugal. Parasit Vectors 2012. [PMID: 22720837 DOI: 10.1186/1756–3305–5-124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms are transmitted by the non-biting insect vector Phortica variegata in Europe and infest the conjunctiva(s) of several mammalians, including dogs and humans. Infested hosts might remain asymptomatic or display clinical manifestations characterized by variable degrees of severity. METHODS From July to November 2011, nine dogs were detected with eyeworms at two veterinary clinics in Chaves and Bragança (North of Portugal). Nematodes collected from dogs were morphologically and molecularly characterized at species level. RESULTS Nematodes were identified as T. callipaeda. The number of worms collected from each dog ranged from three to 76 (average = 17.9 ± 26.8) and was not associated with the severity of clinical signs. Ocular discharge and conjunctivitis were observed in all dogs and ocular pruritus occurred in six of them. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of a portion of target cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene further identified all nematodes as haplotype 1. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of T. callipaeda and associated ocular disease in dogs from Portugal, suggesting that thelaziosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of canine ocular affections. The risk of the infestation spreading from Spain and France to Portugal, through domestic dogs or wild mammals, is realistic.
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Therapeutic efficacy of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel oral formulation (Milbemax®) against Thelazia callipaeda in naturally infested dogs and cats. Parasit Vectors 2012. [PMID: 22541136 DOI: 10.1186/1756–3305–5-85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the last few decades, canine and feline thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda eye worms has gained the attention of the veterinary community due to the spread of this ocular infestation in geographical areas previously regarded as non endemic. The therapeutic efficacy of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel tablets (Milbemax®) against T. callipaeda was tested in naturally infested dogs and cats. METHODS From January 2009 to July 2011 a placebo controlled and randomized field study was conducted in T. callipaeda endemic areas of Switzerland (CH) and Italy (ITA) involving client-owned animals. Dogs (n = 56) and cats (n = 31) were physically examined at enrolment Day 0 (D0) and twice afterwards (D7 and D14). Infested animals were orally treated with Milbemax® or with placebo tablets on D0 and, if an animal was found still infested with T. callipaeda, also on D7. On D14 nematodes were flushed from the conjunctiva, identified and counted. RESULTS Out of 56 dogs, 43 were included in the statistical analysis, whereas 13 were excluded because the products under investigation were not administered with food, as required by the label. On D7 and D14, 72.7% and 90.9% of treated dogs were eye worm free, whereas in the placebo group 95.2% and 76.2% still harbored nematodes, resulting in a mean percentage worm count reduction for the Milbemax® group of 86.1% and 96.8%, respectively. Both results were significantly higher (p = 0.0001) than the placebo group. Out of the 31 cats included in the study at D7 and D14, 53.3% and 73.3% treated with Milbemax® were free of T. callipaeda, while 81.3% and 73.3 in the placebo group were still harbouring eye worms, resulting in a mean percentage worm count reduction for the treated group of 62.2% and 80.0%, respectively. Both results were significantly higher (p = 0.0106 and p = 0.0043) than the placebo group. CONCLUSIONS The commercial formulation of milbemycin oxime at the minimal dose of 0.5 mg/kg and 2 mg/k in dogs and cats, respectively, showed a high therapeutic efficacy in curing T. callipaeda infestations. The advantages of an oral application are additionally increased by the large spectrum of activity of praziquantel and milbemycin oxime against Cestodes and Nematodes infesting dogs and cats.
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Motta B, Schnyder M, Basano FS, Nägeli F, Nägeli C, Schiessl B, Mallia E, Lia RP, Dantas-Torres F, Otranto D. Therapeutic efficacy of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel oral formulation (Milbemax®) against Thelazia callipaeda in naturally infested dogs and cats. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:85. [PMID: 22541136 PMCID: PMC3356600 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over the last few decades, canine and feline thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda eye worms has gained the attention of the veterinary community due to the spread of this ocular infestation in geographical areas previously regarded as non endemic. The therapeutic efficacy of milbemycin oxime/praziquantel tablets (Milbemax®) against T. callipaeda was tested in naturally infested dogs and cats. Methods From January 2009 to July 2011 a placebo controlled and randomized field study was conducted in T. callipaeda endemic areas of Switzerland (CH) and Italy (ITA) involving client-owned animals. Dogs (n = 56) and cats (n = 31) were physically examined at enrolment Day 0 (D0) and twice afterwards (D7 and D14). Infested animals were orally treated with Milbemax® or with placebo tablets on D0 and, if an animal was found still infested with T. callipaeda, also on D7. On D14 nematodes were flushed from the conjunctiva, identified and counted. Results Out of 56 dogs, 43 were included in the statistical analysis, whereas 13 were excluded because the products under investigation were not administered with food, as required by the label. On D7 and D14, 72.7% and 90.9% of treated dogs were eye worm free, whereas in the placebo group 95.2% and 76.2% still harbored nematodes, resulting in a mean percentage worm count reduction for the Milbemax® group of 86.1% and 96.8%, respectively. Both results were significantly higher (p = 0.0001) than the placebo group. Out of the 31 cats included in the study at D7 and D14, 53.3% and 73.3% treated with Milbemax® were free of T. callipaeda, while 81.3% and 73.3 in the placebo group were still harbouring eye worms, resulting in a mean percentage worm count reduction for the treated group of 62.2% and 80.0%, respectively. Both results were significantly higher (p = 0.0106 and p = 0.0043) than the placebo group. Conclusions The commercial formulation of milbemycin oxime at the minimal dose of 0.5 mg/kg and 2 mg/k in dogs and cats, respectively, showed a high therapeutic efficacy in curing T. callipaeda infestations. The advantages of an oral application are additionally increased by the large spectrum of activity of praziquantel and milbemycin oxime against Cestodes and Nematodes infesting dogs and cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Motta
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, Zurich, Switzerland
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Traversa D. Pet roundworms and hookworms: a continuing need for global worming. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:91. [PMID: 22574783 PMCID: PMC3418564 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascarids and ancylostomatids are the most important parasites affecting dogs and cats worldwide, in terms of diffusion and risk for animal and human health. Different misconceptions have led the general public and pet owners to minimize the importance of these intestinal worms. A low grade of interest is also registered among veterinary professions, although there is a significant merit in keeping our guard up against these parasites. This article reviews current knowledge of ascarids and ancylostomatids, with a special focus on pathogenicity, epidemiology and control methods in veterinary and human medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Traversa
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy.
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Otranto D, Dantas-Torres F, Cebeci Z, Yeniad B, Buyukbabani N, Boral OB, Gustinelli A, Mounir T, Mutafchiev Y, Bain O. Human ocular filariasis: further evidence on the zoonotic role of Onchocerca lupi. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:84. [PMID: 22541132 PMCID: PMC3407723 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-84] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among ocular vector-borne pathogens, Onchocerca volvulus, the agent of the so-called “river blindness”, affects about 37 million people globally. Other Onchocerca spp. have been sporadically reported as zoonotic agents. Cases of canine onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi are on the rise in the United States and Europe. Its zoonotic role has been suspected but only recently ascertained in a single case from Turkey. The present study provides further evidence on the occurrence of O. lupi infesting human eyes in two patients from Turkey (case 1) and Tunisia (case 2). The importance of obtaining a correct sample collection and preparation of nematodes infesting human eyes is highlighted. Methods In both cases the parasites were identified with morpho-anatomical characters at the gross examination, histological analysis and anatomical description and also molecularly in case 1. Results The nematode from the first case was obviously O. lupi based on their morphology at the gross examination, histological analysis and anatomical description. In the second case, although the diagnostic cuticular characters were not completely developed, other features were congruent with the identification of O. lupi. Furthermore, the morphological identification was also molecularly confirmed in the Turkish case. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that O. lupi infestation is not an occasional finding but it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of other zoonotic helminths causing eye infestation in humans (e.g., D. immitis and Dirofilaria repens). Both cases came from areas where no cases of canine onchocerciasis were previously reported in the literature, suggesting that an in depth appraisal of the infestation in canine populations is necessary. Physicians and ophthalmologists are advised on how to preserve nematode samples recovered surgically, to allow a definitive, correct etiological diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Zootecnia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Bari, Valenzano, Italy.
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Latrofa MS, Montarsi F, Ciocchetta S, Annoscia G, Dantas-Torres F, Ravagnan S, Capelli G, Otranto D. Molecular xenomonitoring of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in mosquitoes from north-eastern Italy by real-time PCR coupled with melting curve analysis. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:76. [PMID: 22520170 PMCID: PMC3438040 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-76] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are transmitted by bloodsucking culicid mosquitoes belonging to Culex, Aedes, Ochlerotatus, Anopheles and Mansonia genera. The detection of filarioids in mosquitoes for assessing distribution of vectors and/or of pathogens in a given area (also known as “xenomonitoring”), when based on individual dissection of wild-caught female mosquitoes is time consuming and hardly applicable in large epidemiological surveys. Our study aimed to evaluate the recently developed duplex real-time PCR for screening large number of culicids and to assess their positivity for D. immitis and D. repens in an area where both species are endemic. Methods A duplex real-time PCR was used to detect and differentiate D. immitis and D. repens in mosquitoes collected in six provinces of the Veneto region using 43 carbon dioxide-baited traps under the frame of an entomological surveillance program to monitor the vectors of West Nile disease. From early May till October 2010, unfed female mosquitoes (n = 40,892) were captured in 20 selected sites. Results Mosquitoes identified as Culex pipiens, Ochlerotatus caspius, Aedes vexans and Culex modestus were grouped into 995 pools according to species, day and site of collection (from minimum of 1 to maximum of 57). Out of 955 pools, 23 (2.41 %) scored positive for Dirofilaria spp. of which, 21 (2.2 %) for D. immitis and two (0.21 %) for D. repens. An overall Estimated Rate of Infection (ERI) of 0.06 % was recorded, being higher in Och. caspius and Ae. vexans (i.e., 0.18 % and 0.14 %, respectively). At least one mosquito pool was positive for Dirofilaria spp. in each province with the highest ERI recorded in Vicenza and Padova provinces (i.e., 0.42% and 0.16 %, respectively). Mosquitoes collected in all provinces were positive for D. immitis whereas, only two (i.e., Padova and Rovigo) provinces scored positive for D. repens. All mosquito species, except for Cx. modestus, were positive for D. immitis, whereas D. repens was only found in Cx. pipiens. Conclusions The results suggest that both Dirofilaria species are endemic and may occur in sympatry in the examined area. The molecular approach herein used represents a powerful tool for surveillance programs of D. immitis and D. repens in the culicid vectors towards a better understanding of the epidemiology of the infections they cause and their seasonal transmission patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Stefania Latrofa
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Strada Provinciale per Casamassima km 3, 70010, Valenzano, Bari, Italy
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Latrofa MS, Weigl S, Dantas-Torres F, Annoscia G, Traversa D, Brianti E, Otranto D. A multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection of species of filarioids infesting dogs. Acta Trop 2012; 122:150-4. [PMID: 22248527 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2011] [Revised: 01/02/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The present study reports the applicability of a multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of common filarioids infecting dogs, i.e., Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens, Acanthocheilonema reconditum and Cercopithifilaria sp. Amplicons of different sizes (i.e., 170 bp, 480 bp, 590 bp and 300 bp, respectively) of regions within the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were amplified on a single-step multiplex PCR using a mix of species-specific forward primers coupled with a single reverse primer. Experiments were carried out by amplifying genomic DNA extracted from blood or skin samples test-positive for microfilariae (mff). The number of mff present in each blood sample was quantified (from 800 to 25,000 mff/ml for A. reconditum and D. repens, respectively) and mixed blood samples were tested for the simultaneous detection of DNA from these mff. Specific amplicons for blood-circulating mff of A. reconditum, D. immitis and D. repens and for those whose adults are localized in skin (i.e., A. reconditum and Cercopithifilaria sp.) were simultaneously detected on agarose gel up to a dilution of 250 mff/ml for D. repens. The specific identity of the amplicons was confirmed by sequencing. The multiplex PCR assay reported herein represents a new tool for the molecular detection and differentiation of canine filarioids in blood and skin samples.
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Latrofa MS, Dantas-Torres F, Annoscia G, Genchi M, Traversa D, Otranto D. A duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of and differentiation between Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in dogs and mosquitoes. Vet Parasitol 2012; 185:181-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.10.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 10/25/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Czajka C, Becker N, Poppert S, Jöst H, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Krüger A. Molecular detection of Setaria tundra (Nematoda: Filarioidea) and an unidentified filarial species in mosquitoes in Germany. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:14. [PMID: 22236560 PMCID: PMC3277475 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Knowledge of the potential vector role of Culicidae mosquitoes in Germany is very scanty, and until recently it was generally assumed that they are not involved in the transmission of anthroponotic or zoonotic pathogens in this country. However, anticipated changes in the course of global warming and globalization may alter their status. Methods We conducted a molecular mass screening of mosquitoes for filarial parasites using mitochondrial 12S rRNA-based real-time PCR. Results No parasites causing disease in humans such as Dirofilaria spp. were detected in about 83,000 mosquitoes tested, which had been collected in 2009 and 2010 in 16 locations throughout Germany. However, minimum infection rates of up to 24 per 1000 mosquitoes were revealed, which could be attributed to mosquito infection with Setaria tundra and a yet unidentified second parasite. Setaria tundra was found to be widespread in southern Germany in various mosquito species, except Culex spp. In contrast, the unidentified filarial species was exclusively found in Culex spp. in northern Baden-Württemberg, and is likely to be a bird parasite. Conclusions Although dirofilariasis appears to be emerging and spreading in Europe, the absence of Dirofilaria spp. or other zoonotic filariae in our sample allows the conclusion that the risk of autochthonous infection in Germany is still very low. Potential vectors of S. tundra in Germany are Ochlerotatus sticticus, Oc. cantans, Aedes vexans and Anopheles claviger. Technically, the synergism between entomologists, virologists and parasitologists, combined with state-of-the-art methods allows a very efficient near-real-time monitoring of a wide spectrum of both human and veterinary pathogens, including new distribution records of parasite species and the incrimination of their potential vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Czajka
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Otranto D, Brianti E, Latrofa MS, Annoscia G, Weigl S, Lia RP, Gaglio G, Napoli E, Giannetto S, Papadopoulos E, Mirò G, Dantas-Torres F, Bain O. On a Cercopithifilaria sp. transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus: a neglected, but widespread filarioid of dogs. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:1. [PMID: 22212459 PMCID: PMC3259067 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was aimed at investigating the distribution of a Cercopithifilaria sp. sensu Otranto et al., 2011 with dermal microfilariae recently identified in a dog from Sicily (Italy). A large epidemiological survey was conducted by examining skin samples (n = 917) and ticks (n = 890) collected from dogs at different time points in Italy, central Spain and eastern Greece. RESULTS The overall prevalence of Cercopithifilaria sp. in the sampled animal populations was 13.9% and 10.5% by microscopy of skin sediments and by PCR on skin samples, respectively. Up to 21.6% and 45.5% of dogs in Spain were positive by microscopical examination and by PCR. Cumulative incidence rates ranging from 7.7% to 13.9% were estimated in dogs from two sites in Italy. A low level of agreement between the two diagnostic tests (microscopical examination and PCR) was recorded in sites where samples were processed in parallel. Infestation rate as determined by tick dissection (from 5.2% to 16.7%) was higher than that detected by PCR (from 0% to 3.9%); tick infestation was significantly associated with Cercopithifilaria sp. infestation in dogs from two out of four sites. Developing larvae found in ticks were morphometrically studied and as many as 1469 larvae were found in a single tick. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that, in addition to the most common species of filarioids known to infest dogs (i.e., Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens and Acanthocheilonema reconditum), Cercopithifilaria sp. with dermal microfilariae should be considered due to its widespread distribution in southern Europe and high frequency in tick-exposed dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Zootecnia, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, BA, Italy.
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Otranto D, Brianti E, Dantas-Torres F, Weigl S, Latrofa MS, Gaglio G, Cauquil L, Giannetto S, Bain O. Morphological and molecular data on the dermal microfilariae of a species of Cercopithifilaria from a dog in Sicily. Vet Parasitol 2011; 182:221-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Revised: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/20/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Colwell DD, Dantas-Torres F, Otranto D. Vector-borne parasitic zoonoses: Emerging scenarios and new perspectives. Vet Parasitol 2011; 182:14-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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133
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Miró G, Montoya A, Hernández L, Dado D, Vázquez MV, Benito M, Villagrasa M, Brianti E, Otranto D. Thelazia callipaeda: infection in dogs: a new parasite for Spain. Parasit Vectors 2011; 4:148. [PMID: 21791108 PMCID: PMC3158752 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Accepted: 07/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), eyeworms, are known as the causative agents of thelaziosis, initially described in Asia and, later on, over the last decade, also in some European countries (e.g., Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland). In June 2010, the first case of canine thelaziosis was observed in central western Spain (La Vera region, Cáceres) and subsequent epidemiological investigation is reported in the present study. Results This study describes the first autochthonous cases of infection by T. callipaeda in dogs from central western Spain where the first case of eyeworm infection was reported. A total of 456 dogs was examined in this geographical area. Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms were observed in 182 (39.9%) animals, of which 28 showed apparent clinical signs (i.e., conjunctivitis, oedema, epiphora and petechiae). A total of 762 adult nematodes (214 males, 548 females; mean infection rate of 4.18; SD 4.74) were collected with cotton swabs or by flushing of the conjunctival sac of infected animals using physiological saline solution. Nematodes were identified as T. callipaeda according to the morphological keys and molecular analysis of sequences of a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The sequences were identical to those representing T. callipaeda haplotype 1, previously reported in Europe. Conclusions The high infection rate of canine thelaziosis herein reported suggests that practitioners should include this eye infection amongst differential diagnoses of ocular diseases in dogs from this area of Spain or those moving across this area of Spain. Based on the high infection prevalence recorded, the potential public health risk to humans from this region is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Miró
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, de Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae), eyeworms, are known as the causative agents of thelaziosis, initially described in Asia and, later on, over the last decade, also in some European countries (e.g., Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland). In June 2010, the first case of canine thelaziosis was observed in central western Spain (La Vera region, Cáceres) and subsequent epidemiological investigation is reported in the present study. RESULTS This study describes the first autochthonous cases of infection by T. callipaeda in dogs from central western Spain where the first case of eyeworm infection was reported.A total of 456 dogs was examined in this geographical area. Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms were observed in 182 (39.9%) animals, of which 28 showed apparent clinical signs (i.e., conjunctivitis, oedema, epiphora and petechiae). A total of 762 adult nematodes (214 males, 548 females; mean infection rate of 4.18; SD 4.74) were collected with cotton swabs or by flushing of the conjunctival sac of infected animals using physiological saline solution. Nematodes were identified as T. callipaeda according to the morphological keys and molecular analysis of sequences of a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox 1) gene. The sequences were identical to those representing T. callipaeda haplotype 1, previously reported in Europe. CONCLUSIONS The high infection rate of canine thelaziosis herein reported suggests that practitioners should include this eye infection amongst differential diagnoses of ocular diseases in dogs from this area of Spain or those moving across this area of Spain. Based on the high infection prevalence recorded, the potential public health risk to humans from this region is also discussed.
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Dobler G, Pfeffer M. Fleas as parasites of the family Canidae. Parasit Vectors 2011; 4:139. [PMID: 21767354 PMCID: PMC3160944 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2011] [Accepted: 07/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically, flea-borne diseases are among the most important medical diseases of humans. Plague and murine typhus are known for centuries while the last years brought some new flea-transmitted pathogens, like R. felis and Bartonella henselae. Dogs may play an essential or an accidental role in the natural transmission cycle of flea-borne pathogens. They support the growth of some of the pathogens or they serve as transport vehicles for infected fleas between their natural reservoirs and humans. More than 15 different flea species have been described in domestic dogs thus far. Several other species have been found to be associated with wild canids. Fleas found on dogs originate from rodents, birds, insectivores and from other Carnivora. Dogs therefore may serve as ideal bridging hosts for the introduction of flea-borne diseases from nature to home. In addition to their role as ectoparasites they cause nuisance for humans and animals and may be the cause for severe allergic reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Department of Virology and Rickettsiology, Neuherbergstrasse 11, D-80937 Munich, Germany.
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