First report of pneumonia caused by Angiostrongylus vasorum in a golden jackal

Pavle Gavrilović; Darko Marinković; Igor Todorović; Aleksandra Gavrilović

doi:10.1515/ap-2017-0107

Article

First report of pneumonia caused by Angiostrongylus vasorum in a golden jackal

Pavle Gavrilović , Darko Marinković , Igor Todorović and Aleksandra Gavrilović

Published/Copyright: October 15, 2017

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From the journal Acta Parasitologica Volume 62 Issue 4

Abstract

Angiostrongylosis caused by metastrongyloid nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum is an emerging parasitic disease in Europe and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is considered as a main reservoir species for this parasite. Little is known about the role of other wild canids in the epidemiology of angiostrongylosis. The present paper provides the first description of pathomorphological lesions caused by A. vasorum in a golden jackal (Canis aureus). The paper describes a case of co-infection with A. vasorum and Dirofilaria immitis in a one-year-old female golden jackal, legally hunted near the City of Kovin, South Banat, Serbia. The postmortem examination revealed severe pneumonia, proliferative endarteritis, the presence of two adult males of D. immitis in the right atrium, and the presence of 15 adult forms of A. vasorum (11 females and 4 males) in the pulmonary arteries. Native microscopy of an impression smear of the lung tissue found numerous larvae compatible with the A. vasorum first larval stage. This paper provides the first evidence that angiostrongylosis exists in the golden jackal in Serbia and confirms that the golden jackal should be considered as a very suitable definitive host for A. vasorum. The results suggest the possibility that the golden jackal may act as reservoir species and as an important transmitter of A. vasorum larvae.

Keywords: Angiostrongylus vasorum; angiostrongylosis; Dirofilaria immitis; golden jackal; pneumonia; Serbia

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Received: 2017-7-3

Revised: 2017-7-31

Accepted: 2017-8-16

Published Online: 2017-10-15

Published in Print: 2017-12-20

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2017-0107

Keywords for this article

Angiostrongylus vasorum; angiostrongylosis; Dirofilaria immitis; golden jackal; pneumonia; Serbia