Postpartal clinically apparent alveolar echinococcosis in a female dog

Abstract

The lifecycle of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis comprises primarily red foxes (definitive hosts) and small rodents (intermediate hosts). Dogs can additionally be definitive hosts and in rare cases they act as accidental or dead-end host species by developing alveolar echinococcosis (AE) primarily in the liver. This report describes a clinically apparent AE that appeared 5 weeks postpartum in a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever. The bitch was presented with loss of appe tite and apathy. Radiological examination revealed dense and partially calcified, space-occupying lesions in the abdomen that were sonographically further characterized as fluid-filled caverns. Intra operationem, a multifocal generalized cystic infiltration of the liver was observed with metastasis in the omentum. Because of the severe altera tions, the dog was euthanized. Histopathological examination revealed a laminated layer, which is typical for E. multilocularis and sporadic protoscoleces. E. multilocularis-specific PCR was positive. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of a postpartal clinically apparent AE described in a dog. Gestation may have led to progression of the disease.