The Complexity of Zoonotic Filariasis Episystem and Its Consequences: A Multidisciplinary View

Abstract

Vector-borne transmitted helminthic zoonosis affects the health and economy of both developing and developed countries. The concept of episystem includes the set of biological, environmental, and epidemiological elements of these diseases in defined geographic and temporal scales. Dirofilariasis caused by different species of the genus Dirofilaria is a disease affecting domestic and wild canines and felines and man, transmitted by different species of culicid mosquitoes. This complexity is increased because Dirofilaria species harbor intracellular symbiont Wolbachia bacteriae, which play a key role in the embryogenesis and development of dirofilariae and in the inflammatory pathology of the disease. In addition, the vector transmission makes the dirofilariasis susceptible to the influence of the climate and its variations. The present review addresses the analysis of dirofilariasis from the point of view of the episystem, analyzing the complex network of interactions established between biological components, climate, and factors related to human activity, as well as the different problems they pose. The progress of knowledge on human and animal dirofilariasis is largely due to the multidisciplinary approach. Nevertheless, different aspects of the disease need to continue being investigated and cooperation between countries and specialists involved should be intensified.

Human seroprevalence data indicate other factors than climatic conditions influencing dirofilariosis transmission in the Russian Federation

“…behaviour can influence the number of times that someone can be bitten by a mosquito (Simón et al, 2017). Consequently, it would be necessary to find a behavioural explanation for the high percentage of positive men in Ekaterinburgfor example, the hunting and fishing activities practised by men in this region, which could facilitate contact with water bodies and humid areas with vegetation cover, where vector populations are likely to be highest.…”

Evaluasi Penularan Filariasis Limfatik di Provinsi Riau dan Bangka Belitung: Parasit pada Manusia dan Reservoir

“…26 Prevalensi D. immitis di dunia yang tertinggi di temukan di Pulau Canary dan Madeira serta di negara-negara Mediterania. 27 Sebagian besar orang yang menderita pulmonari dirofilariasis tidak menunjukkan gejala sementara sebagian lainnya menunjukkan gejala batuk, batuk berdarah, nyeri dada, demam, dan efusi pleura (cairan berlebih pada jaringan antara paru-paru dan rongga dada). Sementara itu, orang yang terinfeksi D. repens dan D. tenui, tanda yang paling nyata yaitu benjolan di bawah kulit dan kadang di bawah lapisan konjungtiva.…”

“…Sementara itu, orang yang terinfeksi D. repens dan D. tenui, tanda yang paling nyata yaitu benjolan di bawah kulit dan kadang di bawah lapisan konjungtiva. 27 Kucing merupakan reservoir utama dari B. malayi di Thailand,cacing ini merupakan salah satu penyebab utama filariasis pada manusia. 28…”

Development of a multiplexed qPCRs-based approach for the diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Acanthocheilonema reconditum and the others filariosis

“…In addition to their veterinary importance, they can also affect human health, where D. immitis was recently considered as an emerging disease in Europe and causes the cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis. In the USA, it is the most important parasitic infection threatening dog’s life [7]. Elsewhere in the world, particularly in Eastern European countries, D. repens is the most endemic parasitic nematode causing subcutaneous infection, which is less virulent but more zoonotic than D. immitis [8].…”