Filaroides hirthi verminous pneumonia in a West Highland white terrier bred in Ireland.
A two-year-old West Highland white terrier, which had failed to thrive from six months of age, presented with acute onset dyspnoea. Radiography showed a diffuse pulmonary infiltrate throughout both lungs. Haematological abnormalities were an absolute neutrophilia and eosinophilia. Postmortem examination revealed uniform consolidation of both lungs which was defined histologically as a verminous granulomatous pneumonia. Metastrongyle larvae, isolated from the pulmonary tissue, had the morphological characteristics of Filaroides species. On the basis of the pathological changes and the larval morphology, a presumptive diagnosis of F hirthi pneumonia was made. This is believed to be the first report of disease due to this parasite in Ireland.
Torgerson
P R
PR
Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Ballsbridge.
McCarthy
G
G
Donnelly
W J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000662:veterinary*; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007494:Ireland; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*