Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Veterinary Specialized Institute 'Pančevo', Pančevo, Serbia.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathology, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2019 Nov;66(6):2305-2310. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13284. Epub 2019 Jul 17.
Angiostrongylosis caused by Angiostrongylus vasorum is an emerging disease in Europe. Recent reports have shown that, besides the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) recognized as the main definitive host and reservoir for the parasite, the role of the definitive host can be taken by a range of mammals. We considered that, due to the rapid large-scale expansion of its populations in Europe, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) could assume an important role in the epidemiology of the disease. The aim of the investigations was to explore the role of the golden jackal as the definitive host for A. vasorum. Sixty-three golden jackals, legally hunted in lowlands around the Danube River in Serbia recognized as the core area of the species' distribution in Europe, were subjected to patho-morphological and parasitological examination. The adult forms of A. vasorum were detected in the pulmonary arteries in six golden jackals with gross lesions manifested in the lungs. The finding of first stage larvae (L1) of A. vasorum in microscopic smears of the lung tissue altered by infection, which was consistent with the presence of adult parasites and manifestation of gross lesions in the lungs, confirms the successful reproduction of the parasite in the golden jackal. Migration of L1 from the blood vessels to the airways was confirmed by histopathology and, subsequently, their shedding was demonstrated by the Baermann method. The results support the hypothesis that the golden jackal acts as a suitable definitive host for A. vasorum. As a definitive host with a large-scale expansion of its populations in Europe, the golden jackal may be an important part of the parasite's host repertoire by spreading the parasite into previously non-endemic areas and by being an additional definitive host in endemic areas of vulpine angiostrongylosis.
血管圆线虫病由血管圆线虫引起，是欧洲的一种新兴疾病。最近的报告表明，除了被认为是寄生虫主要终末宿主和贮藏宿主的红狐（Vulpes vulpes）外，许多哺乳动物也可以充当终末宿主。我们认为，由于其在欧洲的种群迅速大规模扩张，金豺（Canis aureus）可能在该疾病的流行病学中发挥重要作用。调查的目的是探索金豺作为血管圆线虫的终末宿主的作用。在塞尔维亚多瑙河沿岸的低地，合法猎捕了 63 只金豺，该地区被认为是该物种在欧洲分布的核心区域，对其进行了病理形态学和寄生虫学检查。在 6 只肺部有明显病变的金豺的肺动脉中发现了血管圆线虫的成虫。在感染引起的肺部组织的显微镜涂片上发现了血管圆线虫的第一期幼虫（L1），这与成虫寄生虫的存在和肺部的明显病变一致，证实了寄生虫在金豺体内的成功繁殖。L1 从血管向气道的迁移通过组织病理学得到证实，随后通过巴氏法证明了它们的脱落。这些结果支持了金豺是血管圆线虫合适终末宿主的假说。作为一种在欧洲种群大规模扩张的终末宿主，金豺可能通过将寄生虫传播到以前非流行地区，并成为狐类血管圆线虫病流行地区的额外终末宿主，成为寄生虫宿主谱中的一个重要组成部分。
