Human pulmonary dirofilariasis has been documented from many parts of the world, but not in Korea so far. We experienced a patient of pulmonary dirofilariasis who had visited a local clinic because of chest pain for 1 month. On chest radiograph, a coin lesion of 2 cm diameter and enlargement of the mediastinal lymph node were shown. An exploratory lung resection was done. Pathologically the lesion was a pulmonary dirofilariasis complicated with necrotic pneumonia, fibrosis, and infarction. At the center of the lesion, degenerated nematode sections with multilayered cuticle, thick musculature, and bilateral internal ridges on each side were found, which was identified to be Dirofilaria immitis. This is the first report of human pulmonary dirofilariasis in Korea.
Case Report ; Dirofilariasis/pathology* ; Dirofilariasis/diagnosis ; Human ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic/pathology* ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic/diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Age

The present study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for Dirofilaria immitis infection in cats from Liaoning province, northeastern China. From October 2014 to September 2016, sera of 651 cats, including 364 domestic cats and 287 feral cats (332 females and 319 males) were assessed. They were tested for the presence of D. immitis antigen using SNAP Heartworm RT test kit. In this population, the average prevalence was 4.5%. Age and rearing conditions (feral or domestic) were found to be associated with the prevalence of D. immitis. The prevalence was significantly higher in feral cats compared with domestic cats (8.4% vs 1.4%, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between males and females (4.7% vs 4.2%, P>0.05), but older cats (≥3 years old) showed a statistically higher prevalence compared with younger cats ( < 3 years old) in feral populations (16.8 vs 2.4%, P < 0.01), while the difference between the age groups was not statistically significant in domestic cats (2.4% vs 0.51%, P>0.05), all these results suggest that outdoor exposure time may be one of the most important factors for D. immitis prevalence in cats. Results reveal that D. immitis are prevalence in domestic and feral cats in northeastern China, which indicates that appropriate preventive measures should be taken to decrease the incidence of feline heartworm disease in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
Animals ; Cats* ; China* ; Dirofilaria immitis* ; Dirofilaria* ; Dirofilariasis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies*

In the present study, we first report the seroprevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Shenyang, northeastern China. Sera from 528 randomly selected dogs were examined for D. immitis antigen using SNAP(R)4Dx test kit; 12.7% tested showed seropositive. No significant difference of infection was observed in different genders and breeds (P>0.05), but the difference was significant in different age groups and rearing conditions (P<0.05). The result suggested that the risk of exposure to D. immitis in dogs is high in Shenyang, and should be given attention.
Animals ; China/epidemiology ; *Dirofilaria immitis ; Dirofilariasis/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Seroepidemiologic Studies

Most of human dirofilariasis are pulmonary or subcutaneous infections, but there have been a few reports of human dirofilariasis in unusual sites, such as large vessels, mesentery, peritoneal cavity, and spermatic cord. We present the first case of human hepatic dirofilariasis, which was surgically diagnosed. A 39-yr-old man without any evidence of systemic symptom was found incidentally to have a hepatic nodule during routine physical check-up. The histologic findings of the resected lesion showed a granulomatous lesion with central necrosis containing up to 35 transverse sections of a nematode, ranging 30-80 micrometer in diameter. Thin (1.5-5 micrometer) cuticle with transverse striations surrounded polymyarian and muscle bundles occupied a sixth of both sides of outer body cavity. Central portion of the body cavity was occupied with an intestine-like tubular structure and a larger reproductive tube. These microscopic findings were consistent with degenerated Dirofilaria immitis. Antibody test by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for patient serum reacted positively against adult D. immitis antigen.
Adult ; Animals ; Dirofilaria immitis/anatomy & histology/isolation & purification ; Dirofilariasis/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Male

The emergence of Dirofilarial infections in Asia including Vietnam is a clinically significant threat to the community. We here report a rare case of subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens infection on the posterior thoracic wall in a young woman presenting a painful, itchy, and palpable nodule. The adult worm was identified by mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear ITS-2 sequence determination. The diagnosis was additionally confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis commonly co-existing with D. repens. This is a rare case of subcutaneous human infection on the posterior thoracic region caused by D. repens.
Adult ; Animals ; Dirofilaria repens/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification/physiology ; Dirofilariasis/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Thorax/*parasitology

No abstract available.
Adult ; Animals ; *Capillaria ; Diagnostic Errors ; Dirofilariasis/*diagnosis ; Enoplida Infections/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver/*parasitology ; Liver Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis ; Male

Subcutaneous dirofilariasis is a parasitic infestation found in endemic areas in Mediterranean countries such as Italy. It is occasionally reported in India, mostly from the state of Kerala. Presentation in an infant is extremely rare. We report a case of subcutaneous dirofilariasis in a child that was diagnosed by ultrasonography and confirmed by surgery.
Connective Tissue Diseases ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; parasitology ; surgery ; Dirofilariasis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ultrasonography

A case of periocular dirofilariasis has been diagnosed in Iran. A 27-yr old female referred with a history of edema and redness in the left eye since 2 wk ago. On slit lamp examination, a moving thread-like worm was seen in the subconjunctival area. Two days later, a 126 mm long, live filaria worm was extracted from the lower lid subcutaneous tissue. The worm was diagnosed as, likelihood, Dirofilaria immitis on microscopic examinations. The present case suggests that D. immitis can cause periocular infections.
Adult ; Animals ; Dirofilaria immitis/anatomy & histology/isolation & purification ; Dirofilariasis/*diagnosis/parasitology ; Eye Infections, Parasitic/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Female ; Humans

Dirofilariasis is a common parasitic disease in both domestic and wild animals around the world, with canines as the principal reservoir host and mosquitoes as the vector. Human ophthalmic dirofilariasis is an uncommon condition, but there have been reports from many parts of the world, including Africa, Australia, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Ophthalmic involvement with Dirofilaria may present itself as periorbital, subconjunctival, orbital, or intraocular infections. In this report, we present a case of orbital dirofilariasis with lateral rectus muscle involvement. To our knowledge, this is the first orbital dirofilariasis case reported in Iran. Although debulking of the tumor usually leads to resolution, our patient showed an episode of recurrence after biopsy. Complete recovery was achieved after a spontaneous discharge, without the need for systemic medication.
Animals ; Debridement ; Dirofilaria/*isolation & purification ; Dirofilariasis/*diagnosis/parasitology/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Iran ; Orbital Diseases/*diagnosis/parasitology/surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Dirofilariasis is a rare disease in humans. We report here a case of a 48-year-old male who was diagnosed with pulmonary dirofilariasis in Korea. On chest radiographs, a coin lesion of 1 cm in diameter was shown. Although it looked like a benign inflammatory nodule, malignancy could not be excluded. So, the nodule was resected by video-assisted thoracic surgery. Pathologically, chronic granulomatous inflammation composed of coagulation necrosis with rim of fibrous tissues and granulations was seen. In the center of the necrotic nodules, a degenerating parasitic organism was found. The parasite had prominent internal cuticular ridges and thick cuticle, a well-developed muscle layer, an intestinal tube, and uterine tubules. The parasite was diagnosed as an immature female worm of Dirofilaria immitis. This is the second reported case of human pulmonary dirofilariasis in Korea.
Animals ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dirofilaria immitis/*isolation & purification ; Dirofilariasis/*diagnosis/parasitology/surgery ; Humans ; Lung/pathology ; Lung Diseases, Parasitic/*diagnosis/parasitology/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Republic of Korea ; Treatment Outcome