title: Clinical case presentation and a review of the literature of canine onchocercosis by Onchocerca lupi in the United States.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Onchocerca lupi, a filarioid of zoonotic concern, infects dogs and cats causing ocular lesions of different degrees, from minor to severe. However, infected animals do not always display overt clinical signs, rendering the diagnosis of the infection obscure to the majority of veterinarians. Canine onchocercosis has been reported in the Old World and the information on its occurrence in the United States, as well as its pathogenesis and clinical management is still meagre. This study reports on the largest case series of O. lupi infection from the United States and reviews previous cases of canine onchocercosis in this country.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on the clinical history of a series of eight cases of O. lupi infection in dogs diagnosed in Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado and Florida, from 2011 to 2014, was obtained from clinical records provided the veterinary practitioners. Nematodes were morphologically identified at species level and genetically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All dogs displayed a similar clinical presentation, including subconjunctival and episcleral nodules, which were surgically removed. Each dog was subjected to post-operative therapy. Whitish filaria-like parasites were morphologically and molecularly identified as O. lupi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that O. lupi is endemic in the United States, indicating that the distribution of the infection is probably wider than previously thought. With effect, further studies are urgently needed in order to improve the diagnosis and to assess the efficacy of therapeutic protocols, targeting the parasite itself and/or its endosymbionts.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. domenico.otranto@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. giannelli.alessio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.affiliation: BluePearl Veterinary Partners, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA. nicole.trumble@bluepearlvet.com.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Scotty Trumble
authors.affiliation: VRCC Animal Eye Specialists, Englewood, Colorado, USA. MChavkin1@vrcc.com.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavkin
authors.affiliation: Albuquerque Practice, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. gkennard@eyecareforanimals.com.
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kennard
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. stefania.latrofa@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Maria Stefania
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Latrofa
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. ddb3@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Dwight D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. filipe.vet@globo.com.|Departamento de Imunologia, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (Fiocruz-PE), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. filipe.vet@globo.com.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. mle1@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Eberhard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy; D004285:Dogs; D005123:Eye / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009854:Onchocerca / Q000502:physiology*; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D014481:United States