Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T00:09:16.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Histological and molecular confirmation of the fourth human case caused by Dirofilaria repens in a new endemic region of Slovakia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2012

G. Hrčkova ,
H. Kuchtová ,
M. Miterpáková ,
F. Ondriska ,
J. Cibíček  and
Š. Kovacs
G. Hrčkova*
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01Košice, Slovak Republic
H. Kuchtová
Affiliation:
FORLIFE n. o. General Hospital, Medercská 39, 945 75Komárno, Slovak Republic
M. Miterpáková
Affiliation:
Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01Košice, Slovak Republic
F. Ondriska
Affiliation:
HPL Ltd, Department of Parasitology, Istrijská 20, 841 07Bratislava, Slovak Republic
J. Cibíček
Affiliation:
FORLIFE n. o. General Hospital, Medercská 39, 945 75Komárno, Slovak Republic
Š. Kovacs
Affiliation:
FORLIFE n. o. General Hospital, Medercská 39, 945 75Komárno, Slovak Republic
*
* Fax: +421 55 633 1414, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dirofilariosis is considered to be the arthropod vector-borne disease with the fastest spread in Europe. Slovakia belongs to new endemic regions for canine and human infections. This paper reports the fourth human case, where diagnosis was confirmed using computed tomography (CT), histological and molecular examinations – for the first time in this endemic region. The epidemiological history of this case indicated the autochthonous origin, and infection manifested by intense swelling in the periocular region, where a subcutaneous nodule was localized. Microscopic analysis of cross-sections of the surgically removed nodule confirmed the presence of a single male worm of Dirofilaria repens, indicated by the external cuticular ridges, the robust muscle cells and a single male sex organ seen as one tube beside the intestine. Considering that the worm morphology was partially damaged, molecular study was performed using DNA isolated from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections of the worm. In polymerase chain reactions (PCR) a set of primers specific for D. repens DNA for the CO1-encoding gene amplified the expected 246 bp product using a high concentration of DNA template. Our diagnostic approach, involving molecular techniques, showed that identification of D. repens from excised tissues is possible even when the morphology of the worm and DNA are damaged during tissue processing. It is expected that the spread of this disease will continue due to climatic changes in central Europe. This warrants higher awareness among clinicians, who will initially be approached by patients, and better co-operation with parasitologists in newly endemic countries.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 87 , Issue 1 , March 2013 , pp. 85 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Babál, P., Kobzova, D., Novák, I., Dubinský, P. & Jalili, N. (2008) First case of cutaneous human dirofilariosis in Slovak Republic. Bratislavské Lekárske Listy 109, 486–488.Google ScholarPubMed
Dissanaike, A.S., Abeyewickreme, W., Wijesundera, M.D., Weerasooriya, M.V. & Ismail, M.M. (1997) Human dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens in Sri Lanka. Parassitologia 39, 375–382.Google ScholarPubMed
Džamič, A.M., Čolovič, I.V., Arsič-Arsenijevič, V.S., Stepanovič, S., Boričić, I., Džamić, Z., Mitrović, S.M., Rašić, D.M., Stefanović, I., Latković, Z. & Kranjić-Zec, I.F. (2009) Human Dirofilaria repens infection in Serbia. Journal of Helminthology 83, 129–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Favia, G., Lanfrancotti, A., Della Torre, A., Cancrini, G. & Coluzzi, M. (1996) Polymerase chain reaction-identification of Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis. Parasitology 113, 567–571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fok, É., Kiss, G., Majoros, G., Jacsó, O., Farkas, R. & Gyurkovszky, M. (2007) Preliminary results of an epidemiological survey on dirofilariosis of dogs and cats in Hungary. Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in dog and cat and human infections. Mappe Parassitologiche 8, 195–196.Google Scholar
Genchi, C., Rinaldi, L., Cascone, C., Mortarino, M. & Cringoli, G. (2005) Is heartworm disease really spreading in Europe? Veterinary Parasitology 133, 137–148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genchi, C., Kramer, L.H. & Rivasi, F. (2011) Dirofilarial infection in Europe. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 11, 1307–1317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hamazaki, S., Koshiba, M., Habuchi, T., Takahashi, R. & Sugiyama, T. (1993) The effect of formalin fixation on restriction endonuclease digestion of DNA and PCR amplification. Pathology Research and Practice 189, 553–557.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jalili, N. (2010) New vectors of old diseases: Lessons from medical entomology. Proceedings of the First Southeastern European congress of chemotherapy and infection. 6–9 May 2010, Varna, Bulgaria.Google Scholar
Jelínek, T., Schulte-Hillen, J. & Löscher, T. (1996) Human dirofilariasis. International Journal of Dermatology 35, 872–875.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koshiba, M., Ogawa, K., Hamazaki, S., Sugiyama, T., Ogawa, O. & Kitayima, T. (1993) The effect of formalin fixation on DNA and the extraction of high-molecular-weight DNA from fixed and embedded tissues. Pathology Research and Practice 189, 66–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Magi, M., Calderini, P., Gabrielli, S., Dell'Omodarme, M., Macchioni, F., Prati, M.C. & Cancrini, G. (2008) Vulpes vulpes: a possible wild reservoir for zoonotic filariae. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 8, 249–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miterpáková, M., Antolová, D., Hurníková, Z. & Dubinský, P. (2008) Dirofilariosis in Slovakia – a new endemic area in Central Europe. Helminthologia 45, 20–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miterpáková, M., Hurníková, Z., Antolová, D. & Dubinský, P. (2009) Climate changes implicated for Dirofilaria dissemination in Slovakia. Wiadomości Parazytologiczne 4, 429–431.Google Scholar
Nadgir, S., Tallur, S.S., Mangoli, V., Halesh, L.H. & Krishna, B.V. (2001) Subconjunctival dirofilariasis in India. Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health 32, 244–246.Google ScholarPubMed
Nováková, E., Kinčeková, J., Adamicová, K., Kompaníková, J., Švihrová, V., Šimeková, K., Krause, J., Pavlínová, J. & Dvorožňáková, E. (2011) Human dirofilariosis: The report subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens infection in the Slovak Republic. Helminthologia 48, 13–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ondriska, F., Lengyel, D., Miterpáková, M., Lengyelová, B., Strehárová, A. & Dubinský, P. (2010) Human dirofilariosis in the Slovak Republic – a case report. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine 17, 169–171.Google ScholarPubMed
Pampiglione, S. & Rivasi, F. (2000) Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens: an update of world literature from 1995 to 2000. Parasitologia 42, 231–254.Google ScholarPubMed
Pampiglione, S., Canestri-Trotti, G. & Rivasi, F. (1995) Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens: a review of world literature. Parasitologia 37, 149–193.Google ScholarPubMed
Pampiglione, S., Rivasi, F. & Canestri-Trotti, G. (1999) Pitfalls and difficulties in histological diagnosis of human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens. Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease 34, 57–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pampiglione, S., Rivasi, F., Angeli, G., Boldorini, R., Incensati, R., Pastormerlo, M., Pavesi, M. & Ramponi, A. (2001) Dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria repens in Italy, an emergent zoonosis: report of 60 new cases. Histopathology 38, 344–345.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roiz, D., Eritja, R., Escosa, R., Lucientes, J., Marques, E., Melero-Alcibar, R., Ruiz, S. & Molina, R. (2007) A survey of mosquitoes breeding in used tyres in Spain for the detection of imported potential vector species. Journal of Vector Ecology 32, 10–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roiz, D., Neteler, M., Castellani, C., Arnoldi, D. & Rizzoli, A. (2011) Climatic factors driving invasion of the tiger mosquito (Aedea albopictus) into new areas of Trentino, Northern Italy. PLoS One 6, e14800.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svobodová, S., Svobodová, Z., Beladičová, V. & Valentová, D. (2005) First case of canine dirofilariasis in Slovakia: a case report. Veterinary Medicine 50, 510–512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svobodová, Z., Svobodová, V., Genchi, C. & Forejtek, P. (2006) The first report of autochthonous dirofilariosis in dogs in the Czech Republic. Journal of Helminthology 43, 242–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Szénási, Z., Kovács, A.H., Pampiglione, S., Fioravanti, M.L., Kucsera, I., Tánczos, B. & Tiszlavicz, L. (2008) Human dirofilariasis in Hungary: an emerging zoonosis in central Europe. Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift 120, 96–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vakalis, N., Spanakos, G., Patsoula, E. & Vamvakopoulos, N.C. (1999) Improved detection of Dirofilaria repens DNA by direct polymerase chain reaction. Parasitology International 48, 145–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vakalis, N., Vougioukas, N., Patsoula, E., Spanakos, G., Sioutopoulous, D.O. & Vamvakopoulos, N.C. (2002) Genotypic assignment of infection by Dirofilaria repens. Parasitology International 51, 163–169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed