Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-18T06:02:38.626Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A case of recurrent human Dirofilaria repens infection in Uzbekistan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2023

A. Safarov ,
A.M. Ionică Open the ORCID record for A.M. Ionică [Opens in a new window] ,
F. Akramova ,
U. Shakarbaev ,
V.T. Briciu ,
A. Ieremia ,
A. Berdibaev  and
D. Azimov
A. Safarov
Affiliation:
State Committee of Veterinary and Livestock Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 21 A Kichik khalka youli Street, 100123 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
A.M. Ionică*
Affiliation:
Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Cluj-Napoca, 23 Iuliu Moldovan Street, 400348 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
F. Akramova
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 232 Bogishamol Street, 100053 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
U. Shakarbaev
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 232 Bogishamol Street, 100053 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
V.T. Briciu
Affiliation:
Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Cluj-Napoca, 23 Iuliu Moldovan Street, 400348 Cluj-Napoca, Romania ‘Iuliu Hațieganu’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babeș, 400347 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
A. Ieremia
Affiliation:
Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases of Cluj-Napoca, 23 Iuliu Moldovan Street, 400348 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
A. Berdibaev
Affiliation:
Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named after Ajiniyaz Republic of Karakalpakstan, P. Seytov Street, City of Nukus 230105, Uzbekistan
D. Azimov
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 232 Bogishamol Street, 100053 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
*
Author for correspondence: A.M. Ionică, E-mail: ionica.angela@usamvcluj.ro
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dirofilaria repens is a zoonotic mosquito-borne filarioid that parasitizes in the subcutaneous tissues of carnivores, that has been incriminated in the great majority of human dirofilariasis cases reported throughout the Old World. From the Republic of Uzbekistan, recent data showed that this parasite is endemic in domestic and wild carnivores. In contrast, information regarding human infection is scarce and mostly outdated, with a single case report being published during the last decades. The present paper reports a case of recurrent autochthonous infection with D. repens in a patient living in the rural area of the Sirdaryo Region of Uzbekistan and having no international travel history. The first diagnosis was in 2019, when the patient presented with what was suspected to be a tumour of the left breast. Three years later, in 2022, she presented for a consultation after experiencing redness, occasional swelling and persistent itching in the umbilical region of the abdomen. The ultrasound indicated the presence of a living, motile nematode. Following anthelmintic therapy, the parasite was surgically removed and identified as a female D. repens. The present report highlights the possibility of human re-infection with D. repens and further underlines the necessity of raising public awareness and implementing of solid control strategies in carnivores.

Keywords

Dirofilaria repenshuman infectionrecurrent infectionUzbekistan
Type
Short Communication
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 97 , 2023 , e30
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, RC (2000) Nematode parasites of vertebrates, their development and transmission. 2nd edn. pp. 467–590. Wallingford, Oxon, UK, CABI Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avdiukhina, TI, Supriaga, VG, Postnova, VF, Kuimova, RT, Mironova, NI, Murashov, NY and Putintseva, YV (1997) Dirofilariasis in the Community of Independent States countries: analysis of cases from 1915 to 1996. Meditsinskaia Parazitologiia i Parazitarnye Bolezni 4(1), 3–7. [In Russian.]Google Scholar
Brattig, NW, Racz, P, Hoerauf, A and Büttner, DW (2011) Strong expression of TGF-beta in human host tissues around subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens. Parasitology Research 108(6), 1347–1354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Capelli, G, Genchi, C, Baneth, G, et al. (2018) Recent advances on Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Europe. Parasites & Vectors 11(1), 663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Demiaszkiewicz, AW, Polańczyk, G, Osińska, B, Pyziel, AM, Kuligowska, I and Lachowicz, J (2011) Morphometric characteristics of Dirofilaria repens Railliet et Henry, 1911 parasite of dogs in Poland. Wiadomości Parazytologiczne 57(4), 253–256.Google Scholar
Ermakova, L, Nagorny, S, Pshenichnaya, N, Ambalov, Y and Boltachiev, K (2017) Clinical and laboratory features of human dirofilariasis in Russia. IDCases 9(1), 112–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genchi, C and Kramer, L (2017) Subcutaneous dirofilariosis (Dirofilaria repens): an infection spreading throughout the old world. Parasites & Vectors 10(Suppl 2), 517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genchi, C, Solari Basano, F, Bandi, C, Di Sacco, B, Venco, L, Vezzoni, A and Cancrini, G (1995) Factors influencing the spread of heartworms in Italy: interaction between Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens. pp. 65–71. In Sol, MD and Knight, DH (Eds) Proceedings of the Heartworm Symposium ‘95, Batavia, American Heartworm SocietyGoogle Scholar
Kartashev, V, Tverdokhlebova, T, Korzan, A, Vedenkov, A, Simón, L, González-Miguel, J, Morchón, R, Siles-Lucas, M and Simón, F (2015) Human subcutaneous/ocular dirofilariasis in the Russian Federation and Belarus, 1997–2013. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 33(3), 209–211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lupșe, M, Mircean, V, Paștiu, AI, Cavași, A, Mihalca, AD and Briciu, V (2015) Recurrent subcutaneous human Dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria repens – a case report. USAMV Bulletin Veterinary Medicine 72(1), 201–202.Google Scholar
Mizkevic, AD and Leontieva, MF (1961) A case of a living parasite into the crystalline lens. Sdravookhran Kazakstana 5(1), 67–70. [In Russian.]Google Scholar
Morchón, R, Carretón, E, García, R, Zueva, T, Kartashev, V and Simón, F (2019) A possible relationship between Thromboxane B2 and Leukotriene B4 and the encapsulation of Dirofilaria repens worms in human subcutaneous dirofilariasis. Journal of Helminthology 94(1), e67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Otranto, D, Dantas-Torres, F, Brianti, E, Traversa, D, Petrić, D, Genchi, C and Capelli, G (2013) Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe. Parasites & Vectors 6(1), 16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pampiglione, S and Rivasi, F (2000) Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens: an update of world literature from 1995 to 2000. Parassitologia 42(3–4), 231–254.Google ScholarPubMed
Pupić-Bakrač, A, Pupić-Bakrač, J, Beck, A, Jurković, D, Polkinghorne, A and Beck, R (2021) Dirofilaria repens microfilaremia in humans: case description and literature review. One Health 13(1), 100306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Safarov, A, Akramova, F, Azimov, D, Mihalca, AD and Ionică, AM (2021) Updates on the distribution and host spectrum of Dirofilaria repens in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Parasitology Research 120(12), 3987–3992.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Safarov, A, Mihalca, AD, Park, GM, Akramova, F, Ionică, AM, Abdinabiev, O, Deak, G and Azimov, D (2022) A survey of helminths of dogs in rural and urban areas of Uzbekistan and the zoonotic risk to human population. Pathogens 11(10), 1085.CrossRefGoogle Scholar