Redescription of Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) with histopathological observations.
BACKGROUND
Onchocerca lupi is a dog parasite of increasing zoonotic concern, with new human cases diagnosed in Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, and the United States. Information about the morphology of this nematode is scant and a detailed re-description of this species is overdue. In addition, histopathological data of potential usefulness for the identification of O. lupi infections are provided.


METHODS
Male and female nematodes, collected from the connective tissue of a dog, were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an histological evaluation was performed on biopsy samples from periocular tissues.


RESULTS
The morphological identification was confirmed by molecular amplification and partial sequencing of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene. This study provides the first comprehensive morphological and morphometric description of O. lupi from a dog based on light microscopy, SEM, molecular characterization, and histological observations.


CONCLUSIONS
Data herein presented contribute to a better understanding of this little known parasitic zoonosis, whose impact on human and animal health is still underestimated. The presence of granulomatous reactions only around the female adult suggests that the release of microfilariae from the uterus might be the cause of the inflammatory reaction observed.
Yasen
Y
Mutafchiev
Filipe
F
Dantas-Torres
Alessio
A
Giannelli
Francesca
F
Abramo
Elias
E
Papadopoulos
Luís
L
Cardoso
Helder
H
Cortes
Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. domenico.otranto@uniba.it.
Domenico
D
Otranto
D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D015801:Helminth Proteins; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV