Human subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria immitis in a Greek adult

Falidas, Evangelos; Gourgiotis, Stavros; Ivopoulou, Olga; Koutsogiannis, Ioannis; Oikonomou, Christianna; Vlachos, Konstantinos; Villias, Constantinos

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2015.06.005

Cited by 20 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens is more frequently involved in causing human diseases in the Old World, but D . immitis -caused infections are also known, including in Greece [ 26 ]. The positivity to D .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece

et al. 2017

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This survey investigated the distribution of various intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in four regions of Greece. A total number of one hundred and fifty cats living in three Islands (Crete, Mykonos and Skopelos) and in Athens municipality was established as a realistic aim to be accomplished in the study areas. All cats were examined with different microscopic, serological and molecular assays aiming at evaluating the occurrence of intestinal parasites, and exposure to or presence of vector-borne infections. A total of 135 cats (90%) was positive for one or more parasites and/or pathogens transmitted by ectoparasites. Forty-four (29.3%) cats were positive for one single infection, while 91 (60.7%) for more than one pathogen. A high number of (n. 53) multiple infections caused by feline intestinal and vector-borne agents including at least one zoonotic pathogen was detected. Among them, the most frequently recorded helminths were roundworms (Toxocara cati, 24%) and Dipylidium caninum (2%), while a high number of examined animals (58.8%) had seroreaction for Bartonella spp., followed by Rickettsia spp. (43.2%) and Leishmania infantum (6.1%). DNA-based assays revealed the zoonotic arthropod-borne organisms Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae, Rickettsia spp., and L. infantum. These results show that free-ranging cats living in areas of Greece under examination may be exposed to a plethora of internal parasites and vector-borne pathogens, some of them potentially able to infect humans. Therefore, epidemiological vigilance and appropriate control measures are crucial for the prevention and control of these infections and to minimize the risk of infection for people.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece

et al. 2017

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“…In humans, D. repens is localized most frequently under the conjunctiva, more rarely subcutaneously in areas with areolar cellular tissue [ 2 , 12 , 21 ]. Over the past few years, atypical localizations of D. repens in humans (e.g., scrotum with signs of acute inflammation, oscheoma, spermatic cords, testicle, ovaries, penis, fallopian tube, pleura, mesentery, omentum, intestinal wall, and mucous tunic of the mouth) have become more frequent [ 12 , 25 ], with the same trend as in other countries of Europe [ 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 , 15 – 17 , 19 , 23 ]. A specific sign of dirofilariosis is the sense of moving and crawling of something inside of the intumescence, tumor, or subcutaneous node [ 6 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In humans, pulmonary localizations of this parasite are observed [ 24 ], but the focal lesion in the lungs is often initially misdiagnosed as a tumor [ 23 ]. There are limited observations of other localizations of this parasite in humans, such as the chest, usually discovered in the course of coronary angiography [ 19 ], spermatic cord [ 17 ], scrotum [ 1 , 6 , 10 , 15 , 26 ], oral area [ 3 , 9 ], ovaries [ 16 ], liver [ 11 ], or subcutaneous tissue [ 4 , 7 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dirofilaria immitisin a child from the Russian Federation

et al. 2016

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An immature female worm, Dirofilaria immitis, was isolated from the scrotum of a 14-month-old child. This is the first identification of human dirofilariosis caused by D. immitis in a relatively Northern region (Moscow) of the Russian Federation. The parasite was diagnosed by means of morphological examination of the worm, confirmed by PCR assay. This case raises questions about the range of the D. immitis distribution among humans in Russia. To better understand the geographical distribution of dirofilarioses, detailed clinical and epidemiological information should be collected from human cases with appropriate laboratory confirmation.

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“…The causative agent of cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), affects domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals, with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas [ 9 , 12 , 16 ]. As mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogens, heartworms can also be transmitted to humans, where they cause diseases such as pulmonary dirofilariasis and subcutaneous dirofilariasis [ 5 , 19 ]. Adult D. immitis worms can survive for seven years or more in dogs, usually producing chronic inflammatory vascular disease [ 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence ofDirofilaria immitisinfection in dogs in Henan province, central China

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2016

Parasite

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The heartworm Dirofilaria immitis is the causative agent of cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, and also infects humans. However, there has been no study on dirofilariasis in dogs in central China. From March 2015 to February 2016, sera from 1176 randomly selected household dogs from Henan province, central China were examined for D. immitis antigen using the Canine Heartworm Antigen Test Kit. The overall seroprevalence of D. immitis in dogs in Henan province was 13% (155/1176). The prevalence was significantly higher in older dogs and dogs kept outdoors, compared to the younger ones and those sheltered indoors. No significant difference of prevalence was observed between sexes. The results suggest that the risk of exposure to D. immitis in dogs is high in Henan, and prophylaxis against the parasite is advisable to decrease the incidence of canine dirofilariosis in this region.

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Human subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria immitis in a Greek adult

Cited by 20 publications

References 9 publications

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece

Intestinal parasites and vector-borne pathogens in stray and free-roaming cats living in continental and insular Greece

Dirofilaria immitisin a child from the Russian Federation

Prevalence ofDirofilaria immitisinfection in dogs in Henan province, central China

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