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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
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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 In contrast, information regarding human infection is scarce and mostly outdated, with a single case report being published during the last decades.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

Information

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

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