Otranto Domenico, Giannelli Alessio, Scotty Trumble Nicole, Chavkin Matt, Kennard Gavin, Latrofa Maria Stefania, Bowman Dwight D, Dantas-Torres Filipe, Eberhard Mark L
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA.
Parasit Vectors. 2015 Feb 8;8:89. doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-0699-3.
Onchocerca lupi, a filarioid of zoonotic concern, infects dogs and cats causing ocular lesions of different degrees, from minor to severe. However, infected animals do not always display overt clinical signs, rendering the diagnosis of the infection obscure to the majority of veterinarians. Canine onchocercosis has been reported in the Old World and the information on its occurrence in the United States, as well as its pathogenesis and clinical management is still meagre. This study reports on the largest case series of O. lupi infection from the United States and reviews previous cases of canine onchocercosis in this country.
Information on the clinical history of a series of eight cases of O. lupi infection in dogs diagnosed in Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado and Florida, from 2011 to 2014, was obtained from clinical records provided the veterinary practitioners. Nematodes were morphologically identified at species level and genetically analyzed.
All dogs displayed a similar clinical presentation, including subconjunctival and episcleral nodules, which were surgically removed. Each dog was subjected to post-operative therapy. Whitish filaria-like parasites were morphologically and molecularly identified as O. lupi.
This study confirms that O. lupi is endemic in the United States, indicating that the distribution of the infection is probably wider than previously thought. With effect, further studies are urgently needed in order to improve the diagnosis and to assess the efficacy of therapeutic protocols, targeting the parasite itself and/or its endosymbionts.
盘尾丝虫属的鲁氏盘尾丝虫是一种引起人畜共患病的丝虫类寄生虫，可感染犬猫，导致不同程度的眼部病变，从轻微到严重不等。然而，受感染的动物并不总是表现出明显的临床症状，这使得大多数兽医难以诊断感染情况。在旧大陆已有犬盘尾丝虫病的报道，但关于其在美国的发生情况、发病机制及临床治疗的信息仍然匮乏。本研究报告了美国最大规模的鲁氏盘尾丝虫感染病例系列，并回顾了该国以往的犬盘尾丝虫病病例。
从2011年至2014年在明尼苏达州、新墨西哥州、科罗拉多州和佛罗里达州诊断出的8例犬鲁氏盘尾丝虫感染病例的临床记录中，获取了兽医从业者提供的临床病史信息。通过形态学鉴定线虫种类，并进行基因分析。
所有犬只均表现出相似的临床表现，包括结膜下和巩膜上的结节，这些结节均通过手术切除。每只犬只均接受了术后治疗。通过形态学和分子学鉴定，将白色丝状寄生虫鉴定为鲁氏盘尾丝虫。
本研究证实鲁氏盘尾丝虫在美国为地方性流行，表明该感染的分布可能比之前认为的更广。因此，迫切需要进一步研究，以改善诊断方法，并评估针对寄生虫本身和/或其内共生菌的治疗方案的疗效。
