Abstract
In the past decade, the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum has attracted attention for its emergence in previously free areas and for the rise in clinical cases in domestic dogs. Italy is regarded as one of the countries where this potentially life-threatening parasite is spreading, especially due to bridging infections between wildlife and domestic dogs. The present article describes the presence of A. vasorum in wolves from Italy. Nematodes were observed in histological sections of three wolves found dead in Rome province, central Italy. Morphological and molecular identification of the nematodes, by polymerase chain reaction of rDNA ITS-2 and sequencing, confirmed the nematodes to be A. vasorum, with 99% genetic homology with A. vasorum from sympatric dogs. This is the second report of this species in wolves and the first in this host in Italy, and coincides with increasing records of A. vasorum in dogs and foxes in Italy. Implications for the epidemiology of this emerging parasite and for wildlife health are concisely discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 12-14 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2014 |
Keywords
- Angiostrongylosis
- Canid
- Epidemiology
- Lungworm
- One health
- Pathology
- Wildlife disease
- Wolf
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Infectious Diseases
Access to Document
- Angiostrongylus vasorum in wolves in Italy
© 2014 The Authors. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits distribution and reproduction for non-commercial purposes, provided the author and source are cited.