Ophthalmologist, Clinical Research Center, Pasteur Educational Hospital, Bam University of Medical Sciences, Bam, Iran.
Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
BMC Infect Dis. 2020 Jul 16;20(1):520. doi: 10.1186/s12879-020-05182-5.
Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic parasitic infection transmitted from animals to humans by culicid mosquitoes. Although the disease can be caused by Dirofilaria spp. including Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, human ocular dirofilariasis due to D. immitis is relatively rare in the world. This study was aimed to present a case of ocular dirofilariasis caused by D. immitis in southeastern Iran.
A nematode extracted from the right eye of a 69-year-old man referred with clinical symptoms including itching and redness was examined. After the morphometric analysis, Dirofilaria parasite was detected. Afterwards, a piece of worm body was cut and DNA was extracted and a 680-bp gene fragment amplification and nucleotide sequencing were performed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a D. immitis roundworm as the causative agent of infection. The patient was treated with antibiotics and corticosteroid and followed up for 1 month.
The present study provides the second report on ocular dirofilariasis caused by D. immitis isolated from a human in southeast Iran. Based on the available evidence, dirofilariasis in dogs has significantly increased in endemic areas such as Iran. Therefore, physicians should be aware of such zoonotic nematodes so as to take proper and timely action and treatment against the disease.
犬心丝虫病是一种由库蚊传播的人畜共患寄生虫感染。尽管该疾病可由犬心丝虫属的多种寄生虫引起，包括犬心丝虫和犬恶丝虫，但由犬心丝虫引起的人类眼部犬心丝虫病在世界范围内相对罕见。本研究旨在报告伊朗东南部一例由犬心丝虫引起的眼部犬心丝虫病。
一名 69 岁男性因眼部瘙痒和红肿等临床症状就诊，从其右眼提取出一条线虫进行检查。经过形态计量分析，发现了犬心丝虫寄生虫。随后，切下一段虫体，提取 DNA，进行 680bp 基因片段扩增和核苷酸测序。系统发育分析显示，感染的病原体为犬恶丝虫。患者接受了抗生素和皮质类固醇治疗，并随访了 1 个月。
本研究提供了伊朗东南部首例由犬心丝虫引起的眼部犬心丝虫病的报告。根据现有证据，在伊朗等流行地区，犬恶丝虫病在犬中的发病率显著增加。因此，医生应该意识到这种人畜共患的线虫，以便对疾病采取适当和及时的行动和治疗。
