title: Nine more cases of human infections by Dirofilaria repens diagnosed in Italy by morphology and recombinant DNA technology.
abstract: Dirofilariosis is a mosquito-borne disease of carnivors due, in Italy, to Dirofilaria repens and D. immitis species which are sympatric in many areas. Nine more cases of human infection are here reported, detected in Italian patients living in northern regions (where D. immitis and D. repens are largely present), in Tuscany (where D. repens is more frequent than D. immitis), and in Sicily (where D. immitis is present only sporadically). The nematodes surgically removed (7 female and 2 male specimens) have been identified by a PCR-based method and by morphology as D. repens. Morphological, clinical, and epidemiological data of these human infections are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Parassitologia, Università La Sapienza, Roma.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cancrini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giannetto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merulla
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ubaldino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tringali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrobelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Nero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000032:analysis; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000032:analysis; D004182:Dirofilaria / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D018509:DNA, Helminth; D004274:DNA, Recombinant