Angiostrongylus vasorum in wolves in Italy: prevalence and pathological findings.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Angiostrongylus vasorum is a nematode residing in the heart and pulmonary vessels of dogs and wild carnivores. In Europe the red fox is its reservoir, while only three records from wolves have been published. Angiostrongylus vasorum has a worldwide distribution, and many pieces of evidence demonstrate that it is spreading from endemic areas to new ones. In Italy, A. vasorum was reported with increasing frequency in dogs and foxes in the last decades, and now it is considered endemic throughout the country. Angiostrongylus vasorum can be asymptomatic or cause respiratory and circulatory disorders, at times causing severe disseminated infections.

Methods

Between February 2012 and December 2016, 25 wolves found dead in central Italy were submitted to the Istituto Zoo

SUBMITTER: De Liberato C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5553711 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature