Onchocerciasis in a California Dog
Abstract
A 15-year-old dog that had lived all of its life on ranches and at the Wildlife Waystation on the western edge of the San Gabriel mountains near Los Angeles, California, developed an extensive granulomatous lesion involving the right eye and associated tissues requiring removal of both the eye and the lesion. Microscopic examinations of the tissues revealed the presence of living and dead gravid female worms and male worms belonging to the genus Onchocerca. Unsheathed microfilariae presumed to be Onchocerca species were found in the skin as well. Because Onchocerca species are not natural parasites of dogs, it is presumed that this infection was acquired accidentally from bovine, equine, or other animal host sharing the environment. This appears to be the first published record of patent onchocerciasis in a dog.
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Onchocerca lupi causes canine and human infestation in Europe and overseas.
“The recent finding of Onchocerca lupi causing canine and human infestation in Europe and overseas renders the picture of VBH even more complicated.”
From Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe (2013) · cites this paper as [28]
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Otranto, D., Brianti, E., Latrofa, M. S., Annoscia, G., Weigl, S., Lia, R. P., Gaglio, G., Napoli, E., Giannetto, S., Papadopoulos, E., et al. (2012) · Parasites & Vectors · doi:10.1186/1756-3305-5-1 · Cited by 456 · see citing works
“However, cases of O. lupi causing acute or chronic ocular disease in dogs (i.e., conjunctivitis, photophobia, lacrimation, ocular discharge, exophthalmia) [1] have been reported in the United States [2-4], and Europe [5-8].”
BackgroundInfluentialVector-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
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Colwell, D. D., Dantas-Torres, F., & Otranto, D. (2011) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.07.012 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Zoonotic helminths affecting the human eye
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“The number of cases of canine ocular onchocerciasis have also increased in the United States but the species of parasite in the United States has not been established [178-180].”
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Baneth, G., Thamsborg, S. M., Otranto, D., Guillot, J., Blaga, R., Deplazes, P., & Solano‐Gallego, L. (2015) · Journal of Comparative Pathology · doi:10.1016/j.jcpa.2015.10.179 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
“, 2013a) and in the USA (Orihel et al., 1991; Eberhard et al., 2000; Zarfoss et al., 2005) where it was recently found also in cats (Labelle et al.”
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<i>Onchocerca lupi</i>causing ocular disease in two cats
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Human ocular filariasis: further evidence on the zoonotic role of Onchocerca lupi
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“However, Egyed et al. [11] argued that the parasites described in USA were similar to O. lupi, a conclusion only recently confirmed molecularly, in two cats [21].”
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Subconjunctival filariasis due to<i>Onchocerca</i>sp. in dogs: report of 23 cases in Greece
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Human ocular onchocerciasis caused byOnchocerca lupi(Spirurida, Onchocercidae) in Iran
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“In particular, data on the sex, age, geographical origin, travel history, localization of the nodules and parasite identification for each individual case was analyzed from articles published in the international literature, from 1991 to 2014 [12,17-20,26].”
BackgroundMethodCanine ocular onchocercosis in the United States is associated with Onchocerca lupi
Labelle, A. L., Maddox, C. W., Daniels, J. B., Lanka, S., Eggett, T. E., Dubielzig, R. R., & Labelle, P. (2012) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.12.002 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
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“onchocercosis is an aberrant infection by Onchocerca lienalis of cattle in an accidental host with ectopic location (Orihel et al., 1991; Gardiner et al., 1993; Eberhard et al., 2000; Zarfoss et al., 2005).”
BackgroundSubconjunctival zoonotic onchocerciasis in man: aberrant infection with Onchocerca lupi ?
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“…and the similar infections observed in 14Siegenthaler and Gubler, 1965; Beaver et al., 1974, 1989; Ali-Khan, 1977; Takaoka et al., canids (Rodonaja, 1967; Orihel et al., 1991; Gardiner et al., 1993; Eberhard et al.,1996, 2001; Burr et al., 1998; Pampiglione et al., 2001; Wright et al., 2002).”
BackgroundZoonotic intravitreal Onchocerca in Hungary
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Canine Infections withOnchocerca lupiNematodes, United States, 2011–2014
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“Recently, sporadic cases of subconjunctival Onchocerca infection have been reported in dogs in the United States, Hungary, and Greece (Orihel et al., 1991; Gardiner et al., 1993; Eberhard et al., 2000; Széll et al., 2001a,b; Egyed et al., 2002a; Komnenou et al., 2002).”
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Coyotes as Reservoirs for Onchocerca lupi, United States, 2015–2018
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“lupi infection in the United States affected a dog in California in 1991 (3); since then, O.”
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“However, the developmental stages present in periocular tissues and other parts of the body may survive and cause relapse (Orihel et al., 1991; Hermosilla et al., 2005).”
BackgroundInfluentialOcular Onchocerca infections in two dogs in western United States
Eberhard, M. L., Ortega, Y., Dial, S., Schiller, C. A., Sears, A. W., & Greiner, E. (2000) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/s0304-4017(00)00252-1 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Orihel, T. C., Ash, L. R., Holshuh, H. J., & Santenelli, S.
- Affiliations
- Tulane University (US)
- Venue
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- Published
- 1991-05
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 513-517
- ISSN
- 0002-9637 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2414244009
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 0.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- 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
- onchocerciasis, Onchocerca, canine parasitic infection, microfilariae, stray dogs, wildlife rehabilitation, zoonotic transmission, San Gabriel Mountains
- MeSH terms
- Animals, California, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Eye, Female, Male, Microfilariae, Onchocerca, Skin, Onchocerciasis, Ocular
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