Dirofilaria repens infection in a dog: diagnosis and treatment with melarsomine and doramectin.
Therapy of canine dirofilariois due to Dirofilaria repens is indicated for dogs suffering from clinical signs of this disease, such as dermal swelling, sub-cutaneous nodules and pruritus. It is also important in order to decrease the risk of infection to other dogs and humans in the vicinity of the infected animal when suitable mosquito vectors are present. Combined therapy with the arsenic adulticide melarsomine and the avermectin microfilaricidal doramectin was effective in clearing infection with D. repens in a dog. The number of microfilariae dropped from 17 microl(-1) blood pre-treatment to 7 microl(-1) following the first adulticide injection and reached 0 a day after the microfilaricidal administration. The dog remained negative for D. repens microfilaremia during a follow-up period of 90 days. Euthanasia and necropsy performed 3 months after the initiation of therapy due to a progressive neoplastic disease revealed no evidence of filariae.
Baneth
Gad
G
School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel. baneth@agri.huji.ac.il
Volansky
Zafrir
Z
Anug
Yigal
Y
Favia
Guido
G
Bain
Odile
O
Goldstein
Richard E
RE
Harrus
Shimon
S
D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004182:Dirofilaria; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005369:Filaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000871:Anthelmintics; D001152:Arsenicals; D005369:Filaricides; D014227:Triazines; C076253:melarsomine; D007559:Ivermectin; C084101:doramectin