Abstract
BackgroundNematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus are important causes of potentially life-threatening diseases in several animal species and humans. Angiostrongylus vasorum affects the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary arteries in dogs, red foxes and other carnivores. The diagnosis of canine angiostrongylosis may be challenging due to the wide spectrum of clinical signs. Ocular manifestations have been seldom reported but have serious implications for patients.MethodsThe clinical history of three cases of infection with A. vasorum in dogs diagnosed in UK, France and Italy, was obtained from clinical records provided by the veterinary surgeons along with information on the diagnostic procedures and treatment. Nematodes collected from the eyes of infected dogs were morphologically identified to the species level and molecularly analysed by the amplification of the nuclear 18S rRNA gene.ResultsOn admission, the dogs were presented with various degrees of ocular discomfort and hyphema because of the presence of a motile object in the eye. The three patients had ocular surgery during which nematodes were removed and subsequently morphologically and molecularly identified as two adult males and one female of A. vasorum.ConclusionsThree new cases of canine ocular angiostrongylosis are reported along with a review of other published clinical cases to improve the diagnosis and provide clinical recommendation for this parasitic condition. In addition, the significance of migratory patterns of larvae inside the host body is discussed. Veterinary healthcare workers should include canine angiostrongylosis in the differential diagnosis of ocular diseases.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1440-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Nematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus are important causes of potentially life-threatening diseases in several animal species and humans
Case presentation Information on the clinical history of two cases of A. vasorum infection in dogs diagnosed in the UK and France (Cases 1 and 2, respectively) was obtained from clinical records provided by the veterinary practitioners along with information on the diagnostic procedures, treatment and outcome
Panuveitis with hyphema and fibrin deposition in the right eye were diagnosed; partial examination of the posterior segment showed no evidence of retinal detachment or posterior haemorrhages
Summary
Nematodes of the genus Angiostrongylus are important causes of potentially life-threatening diseases in several animal species and humans. Angiostrongylus spp. develop in and are transmitted by gastropods (i.e. snails and slugs) which act as intermediate hosts [1, 3] Amongst these parasites, Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Angiostrongylus costaricensis infect rodents and, occasionally, humans causing eosinophilic meningitis [4, 5] and abdominal angiostrongylosis [6], respectively. Angiostrongylus vasorum may cause severe clinical disease in dogs, red foxes and other carnivores, characterised by respiratory distress [8] This parasitic infection has a patchy distribution in many parts of the world, including tropical, subtropical and temperate regions (i.e. Europe, Africa, North and South America) [9], and it is apparently expanding in new areas and around well-defined endemic foci [10]. Snail-to-snail transmission of infective third-stage larvae (L3) of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus (Strongylida, Angiostrongylidae) has been hypothesised as a key example for the spreading of nematodes associated with gastropodborne diseases in endemic areas [13]
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