Abstract
The occurrence of the nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum, also known as the French heartworm, is increasingly being reported from various European countries. The adults of this parasite species live in the pulmonary arteries and right cardiac ventricle of wild canids and domestic dogs. Larval stages and eggs in the lungs induce inflammatory verminous pneumonia, causing severe respiratory disease in dogs. Furthermore, haematological and neurological signs and even death may occur. In Hungary, A. vasorum has been identified in red foxes, golden jackals and in two dogs and some slugs. In this first large-scale survey, 1247 sera from pet dogs were collected and tested by an ELISA for the detection of circulating antigen of A. vasorum and by a separate ELISA to detect specific antibodies against the parasite. A total of 1.36% (n = 17, 95 % confidence intervals, CI: 0.80 - 2.17 %) of the animals were positive in both ELISAs, while 1.76 % (n = 22, CI: 1.11 - 2.66 %) of the tested dogs were antigen-positive only and 2.73 % (n = 34, CI: 1.90 - 3.79 %) were positive for specific antibodies only. Regions with antigen- and antibody-positive animals overlapped and were distributed over nearly the whole sampled areas of the country. A considerable number of cases was observed in Budapest and also in the southern part of the country bordering Croatia, while in the most eastern part bordering Ukraine no positive samples were detected. These results confirm the endemic occurrence of A. vasorum in dogs originating from different parts of Hungary and the significant advantages of A. vasorum serology in epidemiological studies.
Highlights
A total of 1.36% (n = 17, 95 % confidence intervals, CI: 0.80 – 2.17 %) of the animals were positive in both ELISAs, while 1.76 % (n = 22, CI: 1.11 – 2.66 %) of the tested dogs were antigen-positive only and 2.73 % (n = 34, CI: 1.90 – 3.79 %) were positive for specific antibodies only
Canine angiostrongylosis is a potentially fatal disease caused by the metastrongylid nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum, which is increasingly being reported throughout Europe
A total of 1.36 % (n = 17, confidence intervals, CI: 0.80 – 2.17 %) of the animals were positive in both ELISAs, while 1.76 % of the tested dogs were only antigen-positive and 2.73 % were positive for specific antibodies only
Summary
Canine angiostrongylosis is a potentially fatal disease caused by the metastrongylid nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum, which is increasingly being reported throughout Europe. Clinical signs in dogs most frequently include respiratory signs such as coughing and dyspnoea, but a broad range of further signs indicating coagulopathies or neurological dysfunctions (Chapman et al 2004; Staebler et al 2005; Wessmann et al 2006; Koch and Willesen 2009), may be the signs most obvious to clinicians and animal owners This variability and the fact that the disease is often in an advanced stage when noticed by the animal owners make the diagnosis of A. vasorum infections challenging but important: the sooner an appropriate anthelmintic treatment is initiated, the better for the clinical recovery of the dogs and limitation of damage, especially to lung tissues (Dennler et al 2011; Schnyder et al 2009). It is important to have good knowledge of the occurrence of
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