title: Occurrence of fatal canine Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in Italy.
abstract: Two cases of fatal canine angiostrongylosis, occurred in a short-time between them in Italy, are described. Both animals presented with severe cardio-respiratory signs and died shortly after admission. At necropsy, both dogs showed lung haemorrhagic lesions, thrombosis of the pulmonary arteries and dilatation of the right heart chambers. Adult nematodes, identified as Angiostrongylus vasorum, were recovered from the heart and/or the pulmonary arteries of the dead animals. The present report focuses on the clinical and parasitological aspects of the two cases and underlines that canine angiostrongylosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of dogs with cardio-pulmonary disorders in southern Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy. dtraversa@unite.it
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Torbidone
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malatesta
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guglielmini
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*