Background Angiostrongylus vasorum is a metastrongyloid nematode localized in the right heart and the pulmonary arteries of domestic dogs. The number of reports in Europe has recently increased, presumably as a consequence of a growing awareness among clinicians, animal owners and researchers, but also due to a growing incidence and territorial spread. So far, no studies have been conducted to assess the prevalence and distribution of A. vasorum in domestic dogs in Romania, and the awareness among veterinarians is limited or absent. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the countrywide seroprevalence of circulating antigens of A. vasorum and specific antibodies against A. vasorum in domestic dogs from Romania. Methods Between November 2016 and July 2017, blood was sampled from a total of 1545 domestic dogs from 23 counties of Romania. Details about their gender, age, breed, housing, use and origin were collected. All serum samples were tested for the presence of A. vasorum circulating antigens (AG) using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in a sandwich ELISA. Additionally, a sandwich ELISA using A. vasorum adult somatic antigen purified by monoclonal antibodies was used for specific antibody (AB) detection. Results A total of 33 dogs (2.14%, 95% CI: 1.82–3.56%) were seropositive for A. vasorum antigen or antibodies against the parasite. Three dogs were positive for antigen only (0.19%, 95% CI: 0.07–0.57%) and 30 dogs (1.94%, 95% CI: 1.36–2.76%) were positive for antibodies only. No dog was positive for both tests. The overall prevalence (AB or AG) and the AB prevalence were significantly higher in pure breed dogs compared to mixed breeds and mongrel dogs ( P < 0.05) and in shepherd dogs compared to other groups ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between males and females, between urban and rural dogs, between dogs with unrestricted access and with restricted access to the environment, and between dogs living outdoors and indoors. Conclusions Our data suggest that the disease is present in Romania in dogs, as it was previously demonstrated in foxes. However, so far, no clinical case has been reported in the country and this may be related to a low awareness among vets. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3481-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Background Angiostrongylus vasorum is the causative agent of canine angiostrongylosis, a severe snail-borne disease of dogs. Red foxes are important natural reservoirs of infection, and surveys of foxes provide a more objective picture of the parasite distribution. Our aim was to investigate the possibility of the presence of A. vasorum in red foxes from the western part of Romania and to analyse the risk factors related to the sex, age and geographic origin of the foxes. Between July 2016 and April 2017, 567 hunted red foxes from 10 counties of western Romania were examined by necropsy for the presence of lungworms.ResultsOverall, the infection with A. vasorum has been found in 24 red foxes (4.2%) originating in four counties (Mureș, Hunedoara, Sălaj and Cluj). There was no significant difference between the prevalence in males and females, between juveniles and adults and between counties.ConclusionsThis is the first report of autochthonous infections of A. vasorum in Romania, showing a relatively low prevalence and extending eastwards the known distributional range of this parasite in Europe. The presence of autochthonous cases in domestic dogs in Romania remains to be confirmed by further studies.
BackgroundThe genus Troglostrongylus includes nematodes infecting domestic and wild felids. Troglostrongylus brevior was described six decades ago in Palestine and subsequently reported in some European countries (Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina). As the diagnosis by the first-stage larvae (L1) may be challenging, there is a possibility of confusion with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus. Hence, the knowledge on the distribution of this neglected feline parasite is still scarce. The present paper reports the first case of T. brevior infection in Romania. In July 2017, a road-killed juvenile male Felis silvestris, was found in in Covasna County, Romania. A full necropsy was performed and the nematodes were collected from the trachea and bronchioles. Parasites were sexed and identified to species level, based on morphometrical features. A classical Baermann method was performed on the lungs and the faeces to collect the metastrongyloid larvae. Genomic DNA was extracted from an adult female nematode. Molecular identification was accomplished with a PCR assay targeting the ITS2 of the rRNA gene.ResultsTwo males and one female nematodes were found in the trachea and bronchioles. They were morphologically and molecularly identified as T. brevior. The first-stage larvae (L1) recovered from the lung tissue and faeces were morphologically consistent with those of T. brevior. No other pulmonary nematodes were identified and no gross pulmonary lesions were observed.ConclusionsThis paper represents the first report of Troglostrongylus brevior infection in Romania, so far representing the second northernmost location for this genus in Europe. The diversity of species infecting wild and domestic felids and the differences regarding the clinical significance of these nematodes highlight the need for a more intense surveillance and proper diagnosis of feline lungworm infections, especially in countries where more species were demonstrated to be present. Furthermore, an increased awareness between clinicians is needed for a correct diagnostic approach to feline lungworm diagnosis.
Nematodes of the Angiostrongylidae family, such as Angiostrongylus vasorum and Angiostrongylus cantonensis, may cause potentially life-threatening diseases in several mammal species. Alongside these well-known species, Angiostrongylus chabaudi has been recently found affecting the cardiopulmonary system of domestic and wild cats from Italy, Germany, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. Nonetheless, significant gaps in the understanding of A. chabaudi epidemiology include the lack of information of species acting as intermediate host and of the morphological description of larval stages. Cornu aspersum (n = 30) land snails were infected with 100 first-stage larvae of A. chabaudi collected from a naturally infected wildcat in Romania. Larvae at different developmental stages were found in 29 out of 30 (96·7%) infected snails and a total of 282 (mean 9·8 ± 3·02 larvae per each specimen) were collected from the gastropods. Here we demonstrate that A. chabaudi develops in snails and report C. aspersum as potential intermediate host for this parasitic nematode. Findings of this study are central to understand the ecological features of feline angiostrongylosis and its epidemiology within paratenic and intermediate hosts.
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