Chapter 16
Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) and Other Trichinelloid Nematodes in Dogs from Liguria (Northwest Italy) F. Macchioni, L. Guardone, M. C. Prati and M. Magi Abstract As a part of a wider study that examined endoparasites of carnivores in northwest Italy, 270 canine fecal samples were analyzed with flotation techniques. Overall prevalence was 7.4 % for Capillaria spp. and 12.2 % for Trichuris vulpis. This article stresses the importance of an accurate morphological and morphometrical analysis to distinguish eggs of T. vulpis from eggs of the genus Capillaria. We also suggest that different Capillaria spp. are present in the Italian dog population. Keywords Capillaria spp.
Eucoleus aerophilus Dog Italy
16.1 Introduction Dogs can be infected by several parasitic species of the family Trichuridae that can be difficult to specifically identify via copromicroscopic examination. The eggs of these nematode species are characterized by a particular barrel shape and polar plugs, with only minor morphological differences (Campbell 1991). This family includes two subfamilies, Capillarinae and Trichurinae, which contain the genus Capillaria and the genus Trichuris, respectively.
F. Macchioni (&) L. Guardone M. Magi Dipartimento di Patologia Animale Profilassi e Igiene degli Alimenti, Università di Pisa, Viale delle Piagge, 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy e-mail:
[email protected] M. C. Prati Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Pisa, Italy M. C. Prati INFN Sezione di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
C. Boiti et al. (eds.), Trends in Veterinary Sciences, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-36488-4_16, Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
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The genus Capillaria has been revised several times. It is currently divided into Eucoleus spp. for parasites found in the airways, Aonchotheca spp. for those living in the gastrointestinal tract, and Pearsonema spp. for parasites of the urinary tract (Moravec 1982; Burgess et al. 2008). Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) lives in the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles of domestic and wild carnivores. Infection with this parasite can cause verminous tracheo-bronchitis. It is occasionally reported in humans (Laloševic et al. 2008). It is present in Europe, and North and South America (Conboy 2009). In Italy E. aerophilus has been reported in wild animals (Rossi et al. 1983; Balestrieri et al. 2006; Magi et al. 2009) and in dogs and cats (Traversa et al. 2009; Di Cesare 2010). The adult females lay eggs after mating. The eggs reach the pharynx, are swallowed, and then eliminated through the feces. The eggs have an elliptical shape and asymmetrical polar plugs and show a reticular surface with anastomosed ridges. They are 60–83 lm long and 26–40 lm wide (Campbell 1991). Outside of the host, they mature in 30–45 days. Infecting larvae can reach the definitive host directly or via an earthworm, the intermediate host. Infesting larvae migrate in 7–10 days from the enteric wall of the host toward the site of choice (Euzeby 1961). E. boehmi (syn. C. boehmi) lives in the nasal passages and sinuses of wild and domestic canids. This species has been reported in America and Europe (Conboy 2009). The eggs measure 54–60 9 30–35 lm. They exhibit a characteristic space between the embryo and the shell and have a smoother surface with small wells (Campbell 1991; Campbell and Little 1991). E. boehmi was identified for the first time in Germany in the silver fox (Supperer 1953). A. putorii (syn. C. putorii) inhabits the stomach and small intestine of domestic and wild carnivores. It has been reported in North America and Europe (Campbell 1991). In Italy it has been reported only in foxes (Iori et al. 1990; Di Cerbo et al. 2008; Guardone et al. 2010). The eggs measure 53–70 9 20–30 lm and have a reticular surface organized in a longitudinal pattern (Campbell 1991). P. plica (syn. C. plica) is localized in the urinary bladder of dogs, cats, and wild carnivores. It has been reported in North America and Europe (Campbell 1991; Whitehead 2009; Senior et al. 1980). In Italy it has been reported in foxes and in a dog (Iori et al. 1990; Callegari et al. 2010). The eggs measure 58–74 9 23–31 lm, and have a rough surface (Campbell 1991). T. vulpis is a cosmopolitan parasite of dogs and wild canids and has occasionally been reported in humans (Dunn et al. 2002; Traversa 2011). It inhabits the large intestine, especially the cecum. The eggs, which are similar in size to those of the genus Capillaria, measure 70–84 9 30–40 lm. They have a typical symmetrical barrel shape, are yellowish-brown in color, and have a very smooth surface (Campbell 1991). The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of Capillaria spp. and T. vulpis in dogs in an area where these parasites are known to infect wild animals, especially foxes (Guardone et al. 2010).
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16.2 Materials and Methods Between January 2010 and March 2011, we examined fecal samples from 270 dogs (163 from hunting dogs and 107 from dogs in kennels) in the province of Imperia (Liguria, Northern Italy). Fresh fecal samples were examined using flotation in zinc sulphate (specific gravity = 1.350), combined with centrifugation. Using an optical microscope at 1009 and 4009 magnification, trichurid eggs were identified according to a morphological and morphometric analysis following in the reported descriptions (Campbell 1991).
16.3 Results Out of a total of 270 samples of fresh dog feces, 48 were positive for Trichuridae eggs. Fifteen dogs were positive for Capillaria spp., and 28 were positive for T. vulpis. Five dogs were infested with two species. The overall prevalence of infection with Capillaria spp. was 7.4 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 4.3–10.5 %). The prevalence of infection with T. vulpis was 12.2 % (95 % CI, 8.3–16.1 %). Among the 20 dogs infected with Capillaria spp., 12 were positive for eggs of E. aerophilus (prevalence, 4.4 %; 95 % CI, 2.0–6.8 %). In nine cases, we found eggs belonging to the genus Capillaria that had different morphological characteristics (one dog had a double infestation of E. aerophilus and Capillaria spp.). In six dogs (2.2 %), the eggs had characteristics similar to eggs of E. boehmi. Most of them were partially embryonated and a few contained a living embryo. In three dogs (1.1 %), the eggs had characteristics similar to those of A. putorii. Samples collected during this study are currently being examined with biomolecular tools (Traversa et al., Deplazes et al., unpublished data) to confirm these identifications. With the exception of three dogs, which had respiratory symptoms with cough and nasal discharge, most of the dogs infected with Capillaria spp. were asymptomatic. The prevalence of Capillaria spp. was 8.6 % in the hunting dogs and 5.6 % in the kennel dogs. This difference was statistically significant. The prevalence of T. vulpis in the hunting dogs was 2.4 and was 27.1 % in the kennel dogs. These differences were highly significant. However, dogs from a heavily infested kennel were present in the kennel dog samples. Some of the 48 dogs were coinfested by Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostomatidae, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, or Dipilydium caninum.
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16.4 Discussion In Italy, the prevalence of infestation by E. aerophilus is likely underestimated. Reports are more common in wild animals, in which the coprological diagnosis is confirmed by finding adult worms in the trachea or lungs during necropsy examinations. In the same geographic area of this study, we detected E. aerophilus in the airways and A. putorii and T. vulpis in the intestines of red foxes. The sharing of habitat between wild and domestic animals can lead to an increased risk of infestation for domestic species. The prevalence of E. aerophilus in dogs (4.4 %) found in this study does not differ significantly from that reported by Traversa et al. (2009) and Di Cesare et al. (2010). The prevalence of T. vulpis (12.2 %) found in dogs in the Liguria region contributes to the data reported by other authors in other Italian regions (Poglayen et al. 2000; Perrucci et al. 2001; Rinaldi et al. 2006; Zanzani et al. 2010). In conclusion, the various capillarid eggs display very similar morphological and morphometric characteristics. Therefore, new biomolecular methods should be developed to aid in the identification of these parasites.
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