Cercopithifilaria spp. of dogs: little known but prevalent filarioids beneath the skin

Abstract

Filarioids of the genus Cercopithifilaria are little studied, yet widespread parasites, that are relatively unique in being one of the very few nematodes transmitted by hard ticks. These filarioids live in the subcutis while microfilariae are found in the dermis. Definitive hosts include domestic dogs as well as a wide range of vertebrates, such as ruminants, non-human primates, murids, marsupials, porcupines, viverrids, bears and lagomorphs. The genus Cercopithifilaria contains three taxa (i.e. C. bainae, C. grassii and a yet undescribed species, namely Cercopithifilaria sp. II) that are known to infect dogs worldwide, with their occurrence overlapping the distribution of the main tick vector, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. In recent decades, more attention has focused on these filarioids since they have been associated with clinical signs of infection, such as dermatitis, chronic polyarthritis and cutaneous cysts, and possibly with facilitating infections caused by other tick-borne pathogens. Nevertheless, these parasites remain largely underdiagnosed in clinical practice due to the lack of awareness of veterinary practitioners and to major obstacles to their diagnosis. In this review, we have assessed currently available data on Cercopithifilaria spp. infecting dogs worldwide and discussed the biological, clinical and epidemiological aspects of these filarioids, with the overall aim to gain a better understanding of their potential role in skin diseases. Graphical abstract

Microfilaremic infection in canine filariosis in Colombia: a challenge in morphological and molecular diagnostics

“…These parasites are transmitted by vectors that are widely distributed, with the main host being dogs, both domestic and wild, as well as humans, who act as accidental hosts ( 2 ). In veterinary medicine, there are families of filarials that hold importance for their impact on public health due to their zoonotic potential, although filarials such as Onchocerca lupi, Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides (sin: Dipetalonema dracunculoides), A. reconditum (sin: Dipetalonema reconditum), and Cercopithifilaria (sin: Acanthocheilonema grassi) ( 1 , 3–7 ) cause low pathogenicity and other pathogens such as Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens are responsible for heartworm disease and subcutaneous dirofilariosis, respectively ( 8 , 9 ).…”