Dirofilariasis is an infection by parasites of the genus ''

Dirofilaria ''Dirofilaria'' is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm), in the family Onchocercidae. Some species cause dirofilariasis, a state of parasitic infection, in humans and other animals. There are about 27 species in the genus.Michalsk ...

''. It is transmitted through a mosquito bite; its main hosts include dogs and wild canids. These can give rise to

granuloma A granuloma is an aggregation of macrophages (along with other cells) that forms in response to chronic inflammation. This occurs when the immune system attempts to isolate foreign substances that it is otherwise unable to eliminate. Such sub ...

s in the pulmonary artery. Some common symptoms include cough, fever and pleural effusion. It may also appear on

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

s of the chest.

Causes

Dirofilariasis is caused by the bites of

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

es. The adult worms produce microfilariae in the circulation, which are ingested by mosquitoes when they bite an infected animal. Inside the mosquito, the microfilariae develop into infective larvae. When the mosquito bites another animal, these larvae migrate to the bite site and develop into adult heartworms in the heart and pulmonary arteries.

Diagnosis

Dirofilariasis is often diagnosed by the examination of tissue obtained as part of the diagnostic investigation of coin lesions. Blood tests are not yet helpful in the diagnosis of dirofilariasis in humans.

Treatment

Treatment with

tetracycline antibiotics Tetracyclines are a group of broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds that have a common basic structure and are either isolated directly from several species of ''Streptomyces'' bacteria or produced semi-synthetically from those isolated compounds. ...

has been reported to damage ''Dirofilaria immitis'', often causing death of adult worms.

References

External links

{{Helminthiases Helminthiases Insect-borne diseases Zoonotic parasitic diseases