An appraisal of canine and human cases reveals an endemic status of dirofilariosis in parts of Serbia

Krstić, Miljan; Gabrielli, Simona; Ignjatović, Marina; Savić, Sara; Cancrini, Gabriella; Ranđelović, Gordana; Momčilović, Stefan; Otašević, Suzana

doi:10.1016/j.mcp.2016.08.005

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…In a long-term monitoring carried out in Slovakia between 2005 and 2015, D. immitis was detected in 10 dogs of which 9 had mixed infection, and some autochthonous cases were revealed in the Komárno district, close to the border of Hungary (Čabanová et al 2015;Miterpáková et al 2016). In Serbia, a high prevalence of both species had been found in dogs (Tasić et al 2008(Tasić et al , 2012Krstić et al, 2017). There are some reports about the prevalence and distribution of Dirofilaria spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The current situation of canine dirofilariosis in Hungary

et al. 2019

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Between April and September 2017, blood samples were collected from 344 randomly selected dogs older than 1 year in 180 settlements of 19 counties in Hungary. The dogs lived exclusively outdoors, had never travelled and had neither been examined for Dirofilaria infection nor treated against mosquitoes with insecticides or/and filarioid worms with macrocyclic lactones. Dirofilaria infection was examined with a modified Knott's test for microfilariae, DiroCHEK®, for the presence of D. immitis antigen, as well as by multiplex and conventional PCR. Altogether, 77 (22.4%) dogs living in 58 settlements of 17 counties were found to be infected with one or both Dirofilaria species based on the PCR techniques. Twenty-eight (8.1%) and 38 (11.1%) dogs were infected with D. immitis and D. repens, respectively. Coinfections were recorded in 11 samples (3.2%) collected in 11 locations of 8 counties. The results confirmed that both dirofilarioses are endemic in dogs and the eastern areas of the country are hyperendemic for heartworm disease. Temperature showed a significant association with the prevalence of D. immitis (OR 2.41, 95% CI 1.24-4.86, p = 0.012) but not with that of D. repens (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.78-2.47, p = 0.286). The prevalence of neither D. immitis (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00, p = 0.213) nor D. repens (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99-1.01, p = 0.094) showed a significant correlation with precipitation. The number of yearly growing degree days (GDD) based on the lifecycle of Dirofilaria in mosquitoes ranged between 3.73 and 7.57 for the Hungarian districts. The GDD showed a significant positive association with the prevalence of D. immitis (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.43-4.15, p = 0.001) and a non-significant positive relationship with that of D. repens (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.83-1.95, p = 0.291).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The current situation of canine dirofilariosis in Hungary

et al. 2019

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“…Infection was also found to be prevalent in wild canids [106]. Dirofilaria repens has repeatedly been reported in humans [106–108] and a recent survey on canine and human cases revealed an endemic status of dirofilariosis in parts of Serbia [109].…”

Section: History Of Dirofilaria Repens In Dogs and Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances on Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Europe

et al. 2018

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Dirofilaria repens is a nematode affecting domestic and wild canids, transmitted by several species of mosquitoes. It usually causes a non-pathogenic subcutaneous infection in dogs and is the principal agent of human dirofilariosis in the Old World. In the last decades, D. repens has increased in prevalence in areas where it has already been reported and its distribution range has expanded into new areas of Europe, representing a paradigmatic example of an emergent pathogen. Despite its emergence and zoonotic impact, D. repens has received less attention by scientists compared to Dirofilaria immitis. In this review we report the recent advances of D. repens infection in dogs and humans, and transmission by vectors, and discuss possible factors that influence the spread and increase of this zoonotic parasite in Europe. There is evidence that D. repens has spread faster than D. immitis from the endemic areas of southern Europe to northern Europe. Climate change affecting mosquito vectors and the facilitation of pet travel seem to have contributed to this expansion; however, in the authors’ opinion, the major factor is likely the rate of undiagnosed dogs continuing to perpetuate the life-cycle of D. repens. Many infected dogs remain undetected due to the subclinical nature of the disease, the lack of rapid and reliable diagnostic tools and the poor knowledge and still low awareness of D. repens in non-endemic areas. Improved diagnostic tools are warranted to bring D. repens diagnosis to the state of D. immitis diagnosis, as well as improved screening of imported dogs and promotion of preventative measures among veterinarians and dog owners. For vector-borne diseases involving pets, veterinarians play a significant role in prevention and should be more aware of their responsibility in reducing the impact of the zoonotic agents. In addition, they should enhance multisectorial collaboration with medical entomologists and the public health experts, under the concept and the actions of One Health-One Medicine.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3205-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…In Serbia, humidity and temperature conditions during a large proportion of the year allow for the transmission of dirofilariasis, with seroepidemiological data revealing noteworthy prevalence rates in the country's dog populations and human clinical cases caused by both D. immitis and D. repens ( 1 , 3 , 24 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is the first time these tests have been conducted in this region of Serbia. Human cases originating from D. repens have only previously been reported in the region of southeastern Serbia ( 24 , 40 , 41 ). In addition, other studies have reported seroprevalences of 9.7% and 8.1% against D. repens and D. immitis polyproteins specific antibodies, respectively, and 2.3% in individuals with specific antibodies to both species ( 26 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, in the last decade, different epidemiological and seroepidemiological studies, alongside clinical reporting, have shown that dirofilariasis has been introduced into the countries of the Balkans peninsula ( 1 , 3 , 4 , 11 , 19 ). Serbia is considered as an endemic country to both forms of dirofilariasis in dogs ( 20 – 24 ). Few human cases have been reported to be caused by D. repens or have had specific antibodies found ( 25 , 26 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seroepidemiological Study of Canine and Human Dirofilariasis in the Endemic Region of Northern Serbia

et al. 2020

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Dirofilariasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused mainly by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens that affect dogs and humans all over the world. Serbia is considered an endemic country to both forms of dirofilariasis, although most of the population is concentrated in the north of the country. The aims of this study were to show the prevalence of D. immitis and D. repens in dogs and the seroprevalence in humans compared to previous studies in Northern Serbia. In total, 346 dog sera samples and 265 human samples were analyzed. Dog blood samples were analyzed using the modified Knott's method to check whether there were Dirofilaria spp. microfilariae and serum samples were checked by a commercial D. immitis antigen test. Human serum samples were analyzed with a non-commercial ELISA for detection of specific anti- D. immitis , anti- D. repens , and anti- Wolbachia IgG antibodies, and confirmed by western blotting. The overall prevalence for Dirofilaria spp. in dogs was 29.19%. The overall prevalence for D. immitis was 26.30%. The percentages of D. immitis and D. repens microfilaremia in dogs were 25.72 and 1.45%, respectively, while D. immitis ./ D. repens microfilaremia co-infections were also 1.45%. The overall seroprevalence for Dirofilaria spp. in humans was 3.77%. The overall seroprevalence for D. immitis was 1.51, 1.13% for D. repens , and for D. immitis / D. repens co-infections was 1.13%. The results indicate that D. immitis and D. repens are present in dogs and humans in the province of Vojvodina, in the northern part of Serbia. It is most likely associated with the presence of many rivers, the climate, and presence of mosquitoes in the area, so there could be a real public health risk.

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An appraisal of canine and human cases reveals an endemic status of dirofilariosis in parts of Serbia

Cited by 19 publications

References 17 publications

The current situation of canine dirofilariosis in Hungary

The current situation of canine dirofilariosis in Hungary

Recent advances on Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Europe

Seroepidemiological Study of Canine and Human Dirofilariasis in the Endemic Region of Northern Serbia

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