Linguatula serrata (Fröhlich, 1789) in Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) from Italy: A Neglected Zoonotic Parasite

Abstract

Linguatula serrata, Frohlich, 1789, is a cosmopolitan zoonotic worm-like parasite of carnivores and other vertebrates including herbivores and omnivores. The adult form of the parasite typically inhabits the upper respiratory system, nares, and frontal sinuses of dogs, wolves, and cats. Infective eggs may be spread by sneezing, nasal secretions, and stool. The immature stages of the parasite are localized in the visceral organs of intermediated hosts, usually ruminants or rodents, and they are orally transmitted to predators during the ingestion of infested viscera. This paper reports the morphological identification and the molecular characterization of L. serrata specimens collected from a gray wolf in the Apulia region (southern Italy) and it also provides epidemiological information on this rarely reported zoonosis.

Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida: Linguatulidae) infection in a paucisymptomatic greyhound imported from Romania to Italy: A case report and literature overview

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of linguatulosis in an imported dog in Italy. Previous cases of linguatulosis in Italy were sporadically reported as autochthonous cases of infection, including reports in dogs ( Principato et al ., 1994 ; Paoletti et al ., 2003 ; Globokar Vrhovec et al ., 2005 ; Bordicchia et al ., 2014 ) and humans ( Parenzan and Chieffi, 1951 ; Pampiglione et al ., 2001 ) as well as a recent report in a grey wolf ( Raele et al ., 2022 ). This suggests that the parasite has been circulating in the country although it has been infrequently detected over the years.…”

“…Moreover, additional factors such as the dog as the definitive host, the morphological characters of the specimen and eggs in nasal discharge, and the geographical area of origin (Europe) allowed us to identify the specimen as L. serrata species without any doubt. To our knowledge, in addition to this report of the COX-1 gene sequence from mitochondrial DNA of L. serrata isolated from a dog, only one previous molecular investigation of a specimen of L. serrata from a gray wolf strain has been published to date in Italy ( Raele et al ., 2022 ).…”

“…Data available in the literature are sporadic and limited or date back to several years ago. To the best of our knowledge, L. serrata has previously been reported in three dogs in Umbria ( Principato et al ., 1994 ), in a dog in Abruzzo ( Paoletti et al ., 2003 ), as a nymphal stage in a dog affected by nasal carcinoma ( Bordicchia et al ., 2014 ), in a dog exported from Sicily to Germany ( Globokar Vrhovec et al ., 2005 ), and more recently in a grey wolf ( Raele et al ., 2022 ). Two cases of human infections have also been reported in association with pulmonary tuberculosis ( Parenzan and Chieffi, 1951 ) or with HIV positivity ( Pampiglione et al ., 2001 ).…”

Characterization of the Tongue Worm, Linguatula serrata (Pentastomida), Identified from Hares (Lepus europaeus) in Romania

“…Parasite identification in hares is important and completes the wide and heterogeneous panel of reported intermediate hosts. The presence of this preadult stage in wild animals emphasizes the relation between transmission and predator–prey interactions [ 36 ]. The European brown hares are important prey for carnivores so they are a significant source of infection with this parasite.…”

“…In Romania, Linguatula serrata has been previously reported both in wild animals such as deer, foxes and jackals [35] and wolves [28,35] and in domestic animals such as dogs [26,27], but also in animals of neighbouring areas from Italy [36], the Balkans [37], and Greece [38,39]. Most reports of L. serrata nymphs in intermediate hosts reveal them encapsulated in a visible tissular capsule, such as those collected from bovine lymph nodes [2,40].…”