Is Dirofilaria repens Endemic in the Havelland District in Brandenburg, Germany?

Abstract

In Brandenburg, northeastern Germany, an outbreak of zoonotic Dirofilaria repens in a sledge dog kennel was detected in January, 2012. Using the modified Knott test, 8 out of 28 adult dogs were microfilaria positive. A D. repens-specific PCR based on the internal transcribed spacer 2 region detected filarial DNA in 11 of these dogs. Northeastern Germany is currently considered to be free of Dirofilaria. The 39% prevalence within the kennel and the fact that the dogs transiently stayed in endemic areas only during the winter suggest that autochthonous infections occurred. Analysis of weather data shows that extrinsic development of Dirofilaria was continuously possible in the summers of 1994-2012, thus allowing active transmission within the area.

A case of autochthonous human Dirofilaria infection, Germany, March 2014

“…Until recently, central Europe, including Germany, was not considered a region in which D. repens is endemic. However, the recent finding of D. repens-infected dogs and mosquitoes in east Germany in the federal state of Brandenburg (which is located next to Saxony-Anhalt) [11,12], as well as infected mosquitoes in southwest Germany [13] suggested that stable transmission of D. repens is already taking place in Germany as the northernmost transmission area in Europe so far [11,12]. The present case of an autochthonous human infection in east Germany lends further support to this notion.…”

Stable Transmission ofDirofilaria repensNematodes, Northern Germany

“…In the federal state of Brandenburg in Germany, conditions for larval development were predicted to be sufficient in each of the past 12 years. These projections, together with our finding of mosquitoes carrying D. repens in Brandenburg in 2 successive years and the recurrent detection of infected dogs in this area ( 8 ), present a strong case for the existence of stable local transmission of D. repens in this region of Germany.…”

“…However, a survey in 44 hunting dogs from the Upper Rhine region showed that 3 animals were positive for D. repens microfilariae ( 7 ). In addition, testing of a kennel of sled dogs located in the federal state of Brandenburg, near Berlin, found 8 of 28 animals were infected with the parasite ( 8 ). …”

The Mitochondrial Genomes of the Zoonotic Canine Filarial Parasites Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens and Candidatus Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) Honkongensis Provide Evidence for Presence of Cryptic Species

“…In the Berlin/Brandenburg area, D . repens positive sledge dogs were presumed to represent autochthonous cases [ 42 , 43 ]. Very recently, an autochthonous canine case was postulated in central Germany [ 44 ].…”