The long-distance relationship between Dirofilaria and the UK: case report and literature review

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Veterinary Science

Rhiannon Moore¹  Emma MacDonald²  William Weir²  Rossella Panarese²  Antony P. Page²  Mike McDonald² 

[1] Dundas Veterinary Group Limited, Edinburgh, United Kingdom;School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom;

关键词: Dirofilaria repens;    Dirofilaria immitis;    heartworm disease;    subcutaneous dirofilariosis;    mosquito-borne disease;    dirofilariasis;    United Kingdom;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fvets.2023.1128188

 received in 2022-12-20, accepted in 2023-04-06,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Over the last two decades, vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) have changed their distribution across the globe as a consequence of a variety of environmental, socioeconomic and geopolitical factors. Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are perfect exemplars of European VBPs of One Health concern that have undergone profound changes in their distribution, with new hotspots of infection appearing in previously non-endemic countries. Some areas, such as the United Kingdom, are still considered non-endemic. However, a combination of climate change and the potential spread of invasive mosquito species may change this scenario, exposing the country to the risk of outbreaks of filarial infections. Only a limited number of non-autochthonous cases have been recorded in the United Kingdom to date. These infections remain a diagnostic challenge for clinicians unfamiliar with these “exotic” parasites, which in turn complicates the approach to treatment and management. Therefore, this review aims to (i) describe the first case of D. repens infection in a dog currently resident in Scotland, (ii) summarise the available literature on Dirofilaria spp. infections in both humans and animals in the United Kingdom and (iii) assess the suitability of the United Kingdom for the establishment of these new VBPs.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Panarese, Moore, Page, McDonald, MacDonald and Weir.