Dirofilaria immitis in pinnipeds and a new host record
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne pathogen that is spreading worldwide, and the associated infection (i.e. dirofilariosis) is becoming a threat to animals and humans living in endemic areas. Little is known about the occurrence and risk of infection of D. immitis in pinnipeds. Here we report dirofilariosis by D. immitis in several pinniped species kept in captivity in Portugal. METHODS: Animals were housed in an oceanographic park located in Algarve, southern Portugal, a geographical area endemic for canine dirofilariosis. To assess the occurrence of D. immitis, blood was collected from the park's resident pinniped population, which consisted of 16 animals (5 common seals Phoca vitulina, 2 grey seals Halichoerus grypus, 3 California sea lions Zalophus californianus and 6 South African fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Dirofilaria immitis nematodes were detected by real-time PCR and by the presence of circulating antigens. In addition, modified Knott's technique was performed to detect circulating microfilariae. Necropsies and histopathological examination of two animals which died during the study were also conducted. RESULTS: Out of the 16 pinnipeds housed at the park, seven (43.8%) were positive for D. immitis by real-time PCR (3 P. vitulina, 2 Z. californianus and 2 A. p. pusillus), two of which (P. vitulina) were also positive for the nematode's antigen. Additionally, D. immitis microfilariae were detected in one A. p. pusillus. Furthermore, several D. immitis specimens were retrieved from the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries at the necropsy of one P. vitulina and one A. p. pusillus. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new epidemiological data on D. immitis infection in pinnipeds diagnosed through clinical, molecular and pathological findings. Additionally, the South African fur seal is herein reported as a new host for this zoonotic filarioid. The situation herein described could also occur in other parks located in areas where canine dirofilariosis is endemic. Active surveillance and preventive measures of dirofilariosis in pinnipeds on a local and global scale are therefore vital to improve the early diagnosis and control of dirofilariosis.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In Portugal, pinnipeds were reported as new heartworm hosts in Algarve, southern Portugal, with prevalence of 43.8% by real-time PCR.
“In Portugal, pinnipeds were reported as new heartworm hosts in Algarve, southern Portugal, with a prevalence of 43.8% by real-time PCR [139].”
From What has happened to heartworm disease in Europe in the last 10 years? (2022) · cites this paper as [139]
Several other mammalian species diagnosed with an infection were held in zoos or as pets, allowing diagnosis.
“Similarly, several other mammalian species diagnosed with an infection were held in zoos or as pets, allowing diagnosis [47–50].”
From Vectors, host range, and spatial distribution of Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in Europe: a systematic review (2025) · cites this paper as [48]
D. immitis has also been reported in three Eurasian otters, Lutra lutra, in Portuguese natural freshwater habitats and, recently, in a collection of pinnipeds from Algarve.
“Dirofilaria immitis has also been reported in three Eurasian otters, Lutra lutra, in Portuguese natural freshwater habitats [45, 46] and, recently, in a collection of pinnipeds from Algarve [47]”
From Molecular characterization of Dirofilaria spp. circulating in Portugal (2017) · cites this paper as [47]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Gapped BLAST and PSI-BLAST: a new generation of protein database search programs
Altschul, S. (1997) · Nucleic Acids Research · doi:10.1093/nar/25.17.3389 · Cited by 73,302 · see citing works
Human and animal dirofilariasis: The emergence of a zoonotic mosaic
Simón, F., Siles-Lucas, M., Morchón, R., González-Miguel, J., Mellado, I., Carretón, E., & Montoya-Alonso, J. A. (2012) · Clinical Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1128/cmr.00012-12 · Cited by 834 · see citing works
King, J. E. (1964) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 491 · see citing works
Marine Mammals Ashore: A Field Guide for Strandings. Second Edition
Geraci, J. R., Lounsbury, V. J., & Yates, N. A. (2005) · Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) · Cited by 385 · see citing works
CRC Handbook of Marine Mammal Medicine
(2001) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/9781420041637 · Cited by 365 · see citing works
Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe
Otranto, D., Dantas-Torres, F., Brianti, E., Traversa, D., Petrić, D., Genchi, C., & Capelli, G. (2013) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-6-16 · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Self-citationMarine mammal necropsy : an introductory guide for stranding responders and field biologists
Pugliares, K. R., Bogomolni, A. L., Touhey, K., et al. (2007) · Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution eBooks · doi:10.1575/1912/1823 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Cardoso, L., Mendão, C., & Madeira de Carvalho, L. (2012) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-5-62 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Self-citationLatrofa, M. S., Dantas-Torres, F., Annoscia, G., Genchi, M., Traversa, D., & Otranto, D. (2012) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.10.038 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citationSchwind, J. S., Goldstein, T., Thomas, K. J., et al. (2014) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-684 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Dirofilaria immitis Infection in a Harbor Seal
Medway, W., & Wieland, T. C. (1975) · Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · doi:10.2460/javma.1975.167.07.549 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Krucik, D. D. R., Bonn, W. G. V., & Johnson, S. (2016) · Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine · doi:10.1638/2014-0116.1 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Dirofilariasis by Dirofilaria repens : an imported case and a brief review
Baptista-Fernandes, T., Rodrigues, M. G., Domingues, D., Monteiro, L., Paixão, P., Pereira, P., Tavares, R., Rodrigues, P., Maurício, I. L., Belo, S., et al. (2015) · Parasitology International · doi:10.1016/j.parint.2015.03.001 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
LINGUAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN A CALIFORNIA SEA LION (ZALOPHUS CALIFORNIANUS)
Sato, T., Higuchi, T., Shibuya, H., et al. (2002) · Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine · doi:10.1638/1042-7260(2002)033[0367:lsccia]2.0.co;2 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Transmission risk of Dirofilariosis in Portugal
Alho, A., Nunes, T., Rinaldi, L., Meireles, J., Belo, S., Deplazes, P., & Madeira de Carvalho, L. (2014) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-s1-o16 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationHeartworms in Captive California Sea Lions
Forrester, D., Jackson, R. F., Miller, J., et al. (1973) · Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · doi:10.2460/javma.1973.163.06.568 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Dirofilaria immitis and Heartworm Disease in the California Sea Lion
White, G. L. (1975) · The Journal of Zoo Animal Medicine · doi:10.2307/20094301 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Bonn, W. G. V. (2014) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-1-4557-7397-8.00044-x · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- [7]Van Bonn WG Miller RE Fowler ME Pinnipedia Fowler’s zoo and wild animal medicine 2015 Missouri Elsevier Saunders 436 49
- [16]Araújo AM Canine and human Dirofilaria immitis infections in Portugal. A review Parassitologia 1996 38 366
Cited by
Sorted by citations
What has happened to heartworm disease in Europe in the last 10 years?
Morchón, R., Montoya-Alonso, J. A., Rodríguez-Escolar, I., & Carretón, E. (2022) · Pathogens · doi:10.3390/pathogens11091042 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Filarioid infections in wild carnivores: a multispecies survey in Romania
Ionică, A. M., Matei, I. A., D’Amico, G., Ababii, J., Daskalaki, A. A., Sándor, A. D., Enache, D. V., Gherman, C. M., & Mihalca, A. D. (2017) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2269-3 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Molecular characterization of Dirofilaria spp. circulating in Portugal
Ferreira, C., Afonso, A., Calado, M., Maurício, I., Alho, A. M., Meireles, J., Madeira de Carvalho, L., & Belo, S. (2017) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2180-y · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationHattendorf, C., & Lühken, R. (2025) · Infectious Diseases of Poverty · doi:10.1186/s40249-025-01328-2 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Current state of canine heartworm in Portugal
Esteves-Guimarães, J., Matos, J. I., Leal-Sousa, B., Oliveira, P., Lobo, L., Silvestre-Ferreira, A. C., Soares, C. S., Rodríguez-Escolar, I., Carretón, E., Morchón, R., et al. (2024) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani14091300 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Alho, A. M., Marcelino, I., Colella, V., Flanagan, C., Silva, N., Correia, J. J., Latrofa, M. S., Otranto, D., & Madeira de Carvalho, L.
- Affiliations
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Otranto, Domenico
- ORCID
- Venue
- Parasites & Vectors
- Published
- 2017-03-13
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 142-142
- ISSN
- 1756-3305 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5347183
- OpenAlex
- W2595962572
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 2.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Parasites & Vectors (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Bari Aldo Moro) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (SFRH/BD/85427/2012, UID/CVT/00276/2013)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Keywords
- Dirofilaria immitis, dirofilariasis, pinnipeds, new host record, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, Phoca vitulina, California sea lion, captive marine mammals, canine dirofilariasis, microfilariae, pulmonary infection, Algarve
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Antigens, Helminth, Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilariasis, Microfilariae, Caniformia, Portugal, Zoonoses, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
