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Doi K, Tokiwa T, Imoto M, Chou S, Yamasaki F, Kato T, Hayama SI. Molecular characterization of oriental eyeworm (Thelazia callipaeda) detected from raccoon (Procyon lotor) and Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes viverrinus) in Kanto region, Japan. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:116. [PMID: 36998059 PMCID: PMC10064651 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05736-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The oriental eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida: Thelaziidae) is an emerging parasitic ocular nematode of carnivores and humans. In domestic animals and humans, the infection causes varying degrees of inflammation and lacrimation, and wild carnivores represent an important reservoir. In this study we examined the infection status and molecular characterization of T. callipaeda in two urban carnivores, raccoons Procyon lotor and wild Japanese raccoon dogs Nyctereutes viverrinus, in the Kanto region of Japan. METHODS From January 2020 to December 2021, 193 carcasses including 178 raccoons and 15 raccoon dogs were examined for the presence of worms in the eye. The worms from infected animals (one worm per host) were morphologically identified as T. callipaeda. Worms (1-5 worms per host) were subjected to genetic analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequences. RESULTS The prevalence of T. callipaeda in raccoons and Japanese raccoon dogs was 20.2% (36/178) and 13.3% (2/15), respectively. The cox1 sequences from 56 worms from 38 animals revealed three haplotypes (h9, h10, and h12). Analysis of multiple worms for five raccoons showed co-infection of two different haplotypes (h9 and h10) in a single host. Comparing our data with published sequences, three sequences obtained from raccoons and raccoon dogs shared the same haplotypes as those reported in humans, dogs, and cats in Japan. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show a high prevalence of T. callipaeda in raccoons, suggesting that this invasive carnivore species serves as an important natural reservoir of T. callipaeda in the Kanto region of Japan, an area with the highest human population of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandai Doi
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Tokiwa
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Miyu Imoto
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shyun Chou
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Yamasaki
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takuya Kato
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Hayama
- Laboratory of Wildlife Medicine, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Kyonancho, Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
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Occurrence of Dirofilaria repens in wild carnivores in Poland. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1229-1237. [PMID: 36939921 PMCID: PMC10097766 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07823-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Dirofilaria repens is an expanding vector-borne zoonotic parasite of canines and other carnivores. Sub-clinically infected dogs constitute the most important reservoir of the parasite and the source of infection for its mosquito vectors. However, occurrence of D. repens infection in wild animals may contribute to the transmission of the parasite to humans and may explain the endemicity of filariae in newly invaded regions. The aim of the current study was to determine the occurrence of D. repens in 511 blood and spleen samples from seven species of wild carnivores (wolves, red foxes, Eurasian badgers, raccoons, raccoon dogs, stone martens, and pine martens) from different regions of Poland by means of a PCR protocol targeting the 12S rDNA gene. Dirofilaria repens-positive hosts were identified in seven of fourteen voivodeships in four of the seven regions of Poland: Masovia, Lesser Poland, Pomerania and Warmia-Masuria. The highest prevalence was found in Masovia region (8%), coinciding with the highest previously recorded prevalence in dogs in Central Poland. The DNA of Dirofilaria was detected in 16 samples of three species (total prevalence 3.13%). A low and similar percentage of positive samples (1.9%, 4.2% and 4.8%) was recorded among badgers, red foxes, and wolves, respectively. Dirofilaria repens-positive hosts were identified in seven of fourteen voivodships. Based on detection in different voivodeships, D. repens-positive animals were recorded in four out of the seven regions of Poland: in Masovia, Lesser Poland, Pomerania, and Warmia-Masuria. The highest prevalence of filariae was found in Masovia region (8%), reflecting the highest previously recorded prevalence in dogs (12-50%) in Central Poland. In summary, we conducted the first comprehensive study on the epidemiology of D. repens in seven species of wild hosts in all seven regions of Poland and identified the first case of D. repens infection in Eurasian badgers in Poland and the second in Europe.
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The European Badger as a New Host for Dirofilaria immitis and an Update on the Distribution of the Heartworm in Wild Carnivores from Romania. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040420. [PMID: 35456095 PMCID: PMC9032528 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Dirofilaria immitis is an important mosquito-borne nematode, being of both veterinary and public health concern. The typical final host is represented by the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, but it is able to infect a large variety of mammalian species. During the present study (March 2016–February 2022), a total of 459 wild carnivore carcasses belonging to 17 species, from Romania, were evaluated for the presence of adult D. immitis by necropsy. Overall, 20 animals (4.36%) were positive: twelve golden jackals, C. aureus (19.05%); four red foxes, Vulpes vulpes (6.67%); one raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides; two wild cats, Felis silvestris (4.65%); and one European badger, Meles meles (0.87%). This study provides further evidence of the occurrence of the canine heartworm, D. immitis, in Romania, expanding the known host spectrum, reports a new host species for this parasite, the European badger, and a new host for Europe, the raccoon dog.
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Zohdy S, Valenta K, Rabaoarivola B, Karanewsky CJ, Zaky W, Pilotte N, Williams SA, Chapman CA, Farris ZJ. Causative agent of canine heartworm ( Dirofilaria immitis) detected in wild lemurs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 9:119-121. [PMID: 31061793 PMCID: PMC6487360 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The lemurs of Madagascar are threatened by human activities. We present the first molecular detection of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in a wild non-human primate, the mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus). Zoonotic D. immitis infection has been associated with clinical pathology that includes serious and often fatal cardiac and pulmonary reactions. With human encroachment and associated increases in free-roaming dog populations in Madagascar, we examined lemurs for zoonotic canid pathogens. D. immitis presents a new potential conservation threat to lemurs. We highlight the need for wide-ranging and effective interventions, particularly near protected areas, to address this growing conservation issue. Molecular evidence of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in lemurs. The first detection of D. immitis, in a wild non-human primate. Free-roaming dogs spatially overlap with lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Zohdy
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Kim Valenta
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | | | - Caitlin J Karanewsky
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
| | - Weam Zaky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA
| | - Nils Pilotte
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Steven A Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Colin A Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Wildlife Conservation Society, 2300 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY, USA.,Section of Social Systems Evolution, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan
| | - Zach J Farris
- Department of Health & Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, USA
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Ionică AM, Matei IA, D’Amico G, Ababii J, Daskalaki AA, Sándor AD, Enache DV, Gherman CM, Mihalca AD. Filarioid infections in wild carnivores: a multispecies survey in Romania. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:332. [PMID: 28705255 PMCID: PMC5508779 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2269-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Filarioids are vector-borne parasitic nematodes of vertebrates. In Europe, eight species of filarioids, including zoonotic species, have been reported mainly in domestic dogs, and occasionally in wild carnivores. In Romania, infections with Dirofilaria spp. and Acanthocheilonema reconditum are endemic in domestic dogs. Despite the abundant populations of wild carnivores in the country, their role in the epidemiology of filarioid parasites remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to assess the host range, prevalence and distribution of filarioid infections in wild carnivores present in Romania. METHODS Between May 2014 and February 2016, 432 spleen samples originating from 14 species of wild carnivores have been tested for the presence of DNA of three species of filarioids (D. immitis, D. repens and A. reconditum). RESULTS Overall 14 samples (3.24%) were molecularly positive. The most prevalent species was D. immitis (1.62%), accounting for 50% (n = 7) of the positive animals. The prevalence of D. repens was 1.39%, while that of A. reconditum was 0.23%. No co-infections were detected. Dirofilaria immitis DNA was detected in five golden jackals, Canis aureus (7.58%), one red fox, Vulpes vulpes (0.33%), and one wildcat, Felis silvestris (10%). The presence of D. repens DNA was detected in two red foxes (0.66%), two golden jackals (3.03%), one grey wolf (7.14%), and one least weasel, Mustela nivalis (33.33%). Acanthocheilonema reconditum DNA was found only in one red fox (0.33%). CONCLUSION The present study provides molecular evidence of filarial infections in wild carnivore species in Romania, suggesting their potential epidemiological role and reports a new host species for D. repens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Monica Ionică
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioana Adriana Matei
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gianluca D’Amico
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Jana Ababii
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Aikaterini Alexandra Daskalaki
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Attila D. Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dorin Valter Enache
- Department of Engineering and Food and Tourism Management, Faculty of Food and Tourism, Transilvania University, Castelului Street, 500014 Braşov, Romania
| | - Călin Mircea Gherman
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty ofVeterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Simón F, González-Miguel J, Diosdado A, Gómez PJ, Morchón R, Kartashev V. The Complexity of Zoonotic Filariasis Episystem and Its Consequences: A Multidisciplinary View. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:6436130. [PMID: 28642878 PMCID: PMC5469992 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6436130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Vector-borne transmitted helminthic zoonosis affects the health and economy of both developing and developed countries. The concept of episystem includes the set of biological, environmental, and epidemiological elements of these diseases in defined geographic and temporal scales. Dirofilariasis caused by different species of the genus Dirofilaria is a disease affecting domestic and wild canines and felines and man, transmitted by different species of culicid mosquitoes. This complexity is increased because Dirofilaria species harbor intracellular symbiont Wolbachia bacteriae, which play a key role in the embryogenesis and development of dirofilariae and in the inflammatory pathology of the disease. In addition, the vector transmission makes the dirofilariasis susceptible to the influence of the climate and its variations. The present review addresses the analysis of dirofilariasis from the point of view of the episystem, analyzing the complex network of interactions established between biological components, climate, and factors related to human activity, as well as the different problems they pose. The progress of knowledge on human and animal dirofilariasis is largely due to the multidisciplinary approach. Nevertheless, different aspects of the disease need to continue being investigated and cooperation between countries and specialists involved should be intensified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Simón
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Javier González-Miguel
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alicia Diosdado
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Paula Josefina Gómez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Morchón
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Vladimir Kartashev
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia
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Kravchenko V, Itin G, Kartashev V, Ermakov A, Kartashov S, Diosdado A, González-Miguel J, Simón F. Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in sylvatic reservoirs of Krasnodar Krai (Russian Federation). VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY- REGIONAL STUDIES AND REPORTS 2016; 6:35-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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No evidence of Dirofilaria repens infection in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) from Brandenburg, Germany. Parasitol Res 2015; 115:867-71. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4820-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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