Canine dirofilariosis in two cities of southeastern Spain

Several cases of human subcutaneous/ocular dirofilariosis caused by Dirofilaria repens from an area in the southeastern Spain where previous epidemiological studies have shown a very low prevalence of this species in dogs, have been studied in our laboratory. Since the prevalence of this species in dogs did not correspond to the incidence of human cases in the zone studied, a preliminary epidemiological survey was carried out on 114 dog blood samples from two kennels and one veterinary clinic. Knott, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with specific primers for Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens, and ELISA with adult E/S D. immitis and adult somatic D. repens antigens for the detection of specific IgG, were used. Fifty-three out of the 114 samples analyzed were positive for Knott and/or PCR to D. immitis or to D. repens. D. repens was the species with the highest prevalence, 84.6 and 37.1%, respectively, in each kennel. IgG antibodies against D. immitis and D. repens, were detected in 11 samples which gave negative results to both Knott and PCR. These results demonstrate a very high prevalence of D. repens that could be associated with the increasing incidence of human subcutaneous/ocular cases recently detected in this zone.