Human dirofilariasis, "small bite big threat" to public health

Abstract

Dirofilariasis is an emerging zoonotic disease caused by Dirofilaria spp., a parasite carried by domestic dogs, cats and other wild animals. Human infection is accidental. Blood sucking arthropods transmit the infection to man. It usually presents as a nodular lesion in the lung, subcutaneous tissue, peritoneal cavity or eyes. We report a few cases of human dirofilariasis presented as subcutaneous swellings. In all the cases the larvae extracted were identified as Dirofilaria repens , based on the morphological features. The purpose of this article is to highlight the fact that human dirofilariasis is on the rise in Kerala, a geographical area that has a large mosquito density and high incidence of dirofilariasis in the canine population.