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Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in dogs experimentally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum

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Abstract

The aim of this comparative study was to investigate the development of clinical signs and accompanying haematological, coproscopic and pathological findings as a basis for the monitoring of health condition of Angiostrongylus vasorum infected dogs. Six beagles were orally inoculated with 50 (n = 3) or 500 (n = 3) A. vasorum third stage larvae (L3) obtained from experimentally infected Biomphalaria glabrata snails. Two dogs were treated with moxidectin/imidacloprid spot-on solution and two further dogs with an oral experimental compound 92 days post infection (dpi), and were necropsied 166 dpi. Two untreated control dogs were necropsied 97 dpi. Prepatency was 47–49 days. Dogs inoculated with 500 L3 exhibited earlier (from 42 dpi) and more severe respiratory signs. Clinical signs resolved 12 days after treatment and larval excretion stopped within 20 days in all four treated dogs. Upon necropsy, 10 and 170 adult worms were recovered from the untreated dogs inoculated with 50 and 500 L3, respectively. Adult worms were also found in two treated dogs, in the absence of L1 or eggs. Despite heavy A. vasorum infection load and severe pulmonary changes including vascular thrombosis, only mild haematological changes were observed. Eosinophilia was absent but the presence of plasma cells was observed. Neutrophilic leucocytes showed a transient increase but only after treatment. Signs for coagulopathies were slight; nevertheless coagulation parameters were inoculation dose dependent. Ten weeks after treatment pulmonary fibrosis was still present. Infections starting from 50 L3 of A. vasorum had a massive impact on lung tissues and therefore on the health of affected dogs, particularly after prepatency, although only mild haematological abnormalities were evident.

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Acknowledgements

We kindly thank the keepers, Armin Ruedemann and Esther Merz, for their great participation and support throughout the study, Lucia Kohler for intense laboratory tasks, the veterinarian Sandra Staebler for her help during the trial and Ryan Jefferies for revising the English and for precious comments and suggestions on the manuscript. We also acknowledge Bayer Animal Health GmbH, Germany, for the financial contribution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 266a, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Manuela Schnyder, Anna Fahrion & Peter Deplazes

  2. Clinical Labor, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Barbara Riond

  3. Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr 268, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    Pete Ossent

  4. Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK, Denmark

    Pia Webster

  5. Clinic for Small Internal Medicine, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Asja Kranjc & Tony Glaus

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  1. Manuela Schnyder
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  2. Anna Fahrion
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  3. Barbara Riond
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Correspondence to Manuela Schnyder.

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P. Ossent - Deceased in February this year

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Schnyder, M., Fahrion, A., Riond, B. et al. Clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in dogs experimentally infected with Angiostrongylus vasorum . Parasitol Res 107, 1471–1480 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2021-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-2021-9

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