title: Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus vasorum: the contemporaneous detection in kennels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cardiopulmonary nematodes Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus vasorum are increasingly reported in dogs and are responsible for two diseases with overlapping endemic areas, especially in Europe: dirofilariosis and angiostrongylosis. The reasons for their apparent emergence are unknown, but several factors (e.g. increased disease awareness, better diagnostic tools, climatic changes, seasonal population dynamics and movements of animals) may play a role in the recent rise in reports of infection in the various countries of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of D. immitis (by DiroCHECK® ELISA) and the fecal presence of first stage larvae (L1) of A. vasorum (by FLOTAC) in dogs from 68 kennels of the Campania region (southern Italy). The fecal samples were collected from pooled samples using the box as epidemiological unit. To the authors's knowledge, this is the first cross-sectional survey conducted at regional-scale in Italy and in Europe on the contemporaneous detection of D. immitis antigens and A. vasorum L1 in kennels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antigens of D. immitis were detected in 24/537 (4.4%; 95% Confidence Interval = 3.0-6.7) dogs in 6 out of the 68 kennels (8.8%; 95% CI = 3.6-18.9). The 24 positive samples for D. immitis antigen were tested also with AngioDetect® and only 1 sample was seropositive for A. vasorum with a prevalence of 4.2%. A. vasorum L1 were detected in dogs from 9 out of the 68 kennels (13.2%; 95% CI = 21.8-44.9). Pooled fecal samples from 25 boxes out of the 1360 analyzed resulted positive to A. vasorum L1 (1.8%; 95% CI = 1.2-2.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study indicates that cardiopulmonary nematodes are present in Campania region in symptomatic dogs as well as in asymptomatic ones. Therefore, regular parasitological surveillance, appropriate treatment strategies and high quality standard of hygiene are required to guarantee the health and welfare of kennel dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. lusy_dp@libero.it.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. mariapaola.maurelli@unina.it.
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Maurelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. saverio.pennacchio@libero.it.
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pennacchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. boscoant@tiscali.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosco
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. musella@unicz.it.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Musella
authors.affiliation: Jon Ionescu de la Brad", University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, Romania. lavinia_vet1@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciuca
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. cringoli@unina.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II, CREMOPAR Campania Region, Via Della Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy. lrinaldi@unina.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D000947:Antigens, Helminth; D060085:Coinfection; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D000947:Antigens, Helminth