Role of golden jackals (Canis aureus) as natural reservoirs of Dirofilaria spp. in Romania.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens are mosquito-transmitted zoonotic nematodes, causing heartworm disease and skin lesions, respectively, in carnivores. In Europe, the domestic dog is apparently the main definitive host, but patent infections occur also in other species of carnivores. The rapid spread of the golden jackals (Canis aureus) throughout Europe opens a question of involvement of this species in the sylvatic cycle of pathogens in the colonised territories, including Dirofilaria spp.

Methods

Between January 2014 and May 2015, 54 golden jackals from 18 localities in Romania were examined by full necropsy for the presence of adult filarioid nematodes and blood samples from all animals were screened for the presence of microfilariae of D. immitis, D.

SUBMITTER: Ionica AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4848770 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature