Background: In Italy, Angiostrongylus vasorum, an emergent parasite, is being diagnosed in dogs from areas\nconsidered free of infection so far. As clinical signs are multiple and common to other diseases, its diagnosis can be\nchallenging. In particular, in areas where angiostrongylosis and dirofilariosis overlap, a misleading diagnosis of\ncardiopulmonary dirofilariosis might occur even on the basis of possible misleading outcomes from diagnostic kits.\nCase presentation: Two Cavalier King Charles spaniel dogs from an Italian breeding in the Northwest were\nreferred to a private veterinary hospital with respiratory signs. A cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis was diagnosed and\nthe dogs treated with ivermectin, but one of them died. At necropsy, pulmonary oedema, enlargement of\ntracheo-bronchial lymphnodes and of cardiac right side were detected. Within the right ventricle lumen, adults of\nA. vasorum were found. All dogs from the same kennel were subjected to faecal examination by FLOTAC and\nBaermannââ?¬â?¢s techniques to detect A. vasorum first stage larvae; blood analysis by Knottââ?¬â?¢s for Dirofilaria immitis\nmicrofilariae, and antigenic tests for both A. vasorum (Angio Detectââ??¢) and D.immitis (DiroCHEKÃ?® Heartworm,\nWitnessÃ?®Dirofilaria). The surviving dog with respiratory signs resulted positive for A. vasorum both at serum antigens\nand larval detection. Its WitnessÃ?® test was low positive similarly to other four dogs from the same kennel, but false\npositive results due to cross reactions with A. vasorum were also considered. No dogs were found infected by\nA. vasorum.\nEventually, the investigation was deepened by browsing the pathological database of Veterinary Pathology\nLaboratories at Veterinary School of Milan University through 1998ââ?¬â??2016, where 11 cases of angiostrongylosis\nwere described. Two out of 11 dogs had a mixed infection with Crenosoma vulpis.\nConclusion: The study demonstrates the need for accurate surveys to acquire proper epidemiological data on A.\nvasorum infection in Northwestern Italy and for appropriate diagnostic methods. Veterinary clinicians should be\nwarned about the occurrence of this canine parasite and the connected risk of a misleading diagnosis, particularly\nin areas endemic for cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis.
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