Mulreany Lauren M, Niedringhaus Kevin D, Fenton Heather M A, Smith Christine, Smith Richard, Gardiner Chris H, Lewis Barbara C, Craig Thomas, Williams Bruce H, Garner Michael M, Cleveland Christopher A, Yabsley Michael J
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, 205 Duck Pond Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Wildlife Health Building, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2018 Dec;14:155-160. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.10.011. Epub 2018 Nov 1.
Filaria taxideae is a common subcutaneous filarial parasite of American badgers (Taxidea taxus) that has also been reported in skunks in the Western USA. Dermatitis associated with this parasite has been reported in badgers and skunks; however, many individuals have no gross lesions. With the exception of a captive red panda in California, there have been no reports of F. taxidae infection in domestic or exotic/pet animals. In this case series, we document F. taxideae in domestic ferrets from California, Texas, and Colorado and describe the clinical presentation, gross and histologic lesions, and the molecular characterization of this parasite. In two cases, ferrets were positive on Dirofilaria immitis antigen tests but had no evidence of heartworm infection suggesting that F. taxideae antigens can cross-react. These findings indicate that F. taxideae should be considered in cases of dermatitis in ferrets in areas where this parasite may occur.
獾丝虫（Filaria taxideae）是美洲獾（Taxidea taxus）常见的皮下丝虫寄生虫，在美国西部的臭鼬中也有报道。已报道獾和臭鼬存在与这种寄生虫相关的皮炎；然而，许多个体并无明显病变。除加利福尼亚一只圈养的小熊猫外，尚无关于家养或外来/宠物动物感染獾丝虫的报道。在本病例系列中，我们记录了加利福尼亚、得克萨斯和科罗拉多州家养雪貂体内的獾丝虫，并描述了其临床表现、大体和组织学病变以及该寄生虫的分子特征。在两例病例中，雪貂的犬恶丝虫抗原检测呈阳性，但无感染心丝虫的证据，这表明獾丝虫抗原可能会发生交叉反应。这些发现表明，在可能存在这种寄生虫的地区，雪貂发生皮炎的病例应考虑獾丝虫感染。
