title: Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in southern Italy.
abstract: Angiostrongylus vasorum (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae) infection was detected at post-mortem examination in the pulmonary arteries and hearts of 34/102 (33,3%) of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the Campania Region in southern Italy. Pathological changes consisted of granulomatous interstitial pneumonia caused by larvae and intravascular pulmonary adult nematodes. These changes confirm that angiostrongylosis infection in red foxes has a mainly chronic course, in which the infected host may disperse parasite larvae in the environment over its lifetime. Results suggest that the life cycle of A. vasorum is well established in the red fox in the Campania Region representing a potential infection risk for dogs.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Alessio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Prisco
authors.forename: Benedetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neola
authors.forename: Brunella
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Restucci
authors.forename: Teresa B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Veneziano
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D005589:Foxes / Q000502:physiology*; D006099:Granuloma / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D006105:Granulomatous Disease, Chronic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007558:Italy; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D008853:Microscopy; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000469:parasitology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*