A case of inguinal hernia associated with atypical Dirofilaria repens infection in a dog

Abstract

Background Dirofilaria repens is a filarioid nematode transmitted by mosquitoes. Adult D. repens are typically localized in the subcutaneous tissue of the host, but other, atypical localizations have also been reported. There have been several reports of clinical cases involving an association of parasites and hernias in both animals and humans. However, it is unclear if parasitic infection can act as a triggering factor in the development of hernias. Methods A 12-year-old dog was referred to a private veterinarian clinic in Satu Mare, northwestern Romania due to the presence of a swelling in the lateral side of the penis (inguinal area). The dog underwent hernia repair surgery during which four long nematodes were detected in the peritoneal serosa of the inguinal hernial sac. One female specimen was subjected to genomic DNA extraction to confirm species identification, based on amplification and sequencing of a 670-bp fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Treatment with a single dose of imidacloprid 10% + moxidectin 2.5% (Advocate, Bayer AG) was administered. Results The nematodes were morphologically identified as adult D. repens, and the BLAST analyses revealed a 100% nucleotide similarity to a D. repens sequence isolated from a human case in Czech Republic. Conclusions We report a case of an atypical localization of D. repens in the peritoneal cavity of a naturally infected pet dog with inguinal hernia and discuss the associations between hernia and parasitic infections.

Identity of Microfilariae Circulating in Dogs from Western and South-Western Romania in the Last Decade

“…Canine dirofilariosis is an endemic disease in many European countries [13], including Romania, where the prevalence of D. immitis has been reported to range between 0% and 60%, depending on the surveyed area and the diagnostic tool used [14][15][16][17][18][19]. Recent studies performed on Romanian territory offer information regarding the presence of this parasite in other regions found at considerable distances from the areas included in the present study.…”

“…Several published studies and case reports mention the infection with Dirofilaria in Romania, revealing various prevalence rates among dogs [14][15][16][17][18][19], cats [20,21], or wild carnivores [22] from different areas. The present study, conducted under extensive spatial (almost a quarter of all counties (11/41)) and temporal conditions (over a 10 year period) brings updated and valuable information on this subject.…”

Occurrence of Dirofilaria repens in wild carnivores in Poland

“…In dogs and wild canids, D. repens occurs in several forms: as maturing or adult parasites inhabiting subcutaneous and connective tissues and as a first larval stadium, microfilariae (MF), occurring in circulating blood. Dirofilariosis in dogs can cause diverse clinical signs, due to the different locations of adult and larval stages (Deak et al 2021 ; Osińska et al 2014 ; Tarello et al 2011 ). For example, nematodes migrating under the skin can sporadically cause erythema, papules, alopecia, and pruritus (Tarello et al 2011 ).…”