Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.24099/vet.arhiv.0282

Molecular detection of filarioid worms in dogs in Nigeria, West Africa

Joshua Kamani ; Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
Alicia Rojas ; Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
Emmanuel Msheliza ; Parasitology Division, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), PMB 01 Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria
Mike Shand ; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine (IBAHCM), and School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Shimon Harrus ; Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
Gad Baneth ; Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

Abstract

The filarioid worm Dirofilaria repens has long been reported in dogs in Nigeria. Recent studies however, did not only report increased prevalence of D. repens but also the presence of Dirofilaria immitis. The classical diagnostic methods used in these studies have low sensitivity. Therefore, we screened 197 canine blood samples from seven states in Nigeria, using a highly sensitive and specific High Resolution Melt Real Time PCR and sequencing, to determine the prevalence and species of filarial worms infecting Nigerian dogs. Only one (0.5%) of the 197 samples screened was positive and showed a melt curve similar to Acanthocheilonema reconditum. Nevertheless, the sequence of this positive sample had only 94% similarity to its first GenBank match, a A. reconditum (JF461460.1). This could be a new filarioid species or a variant of an existing species and deserves further investigation. The low prevalence reported herein is in discrepancy with previous reports that showed the frequent presence of canine filariasis in Nigeria. A large scale survey is needed of filarioids infecting dogs in Nigeria, using highly sensitive and specific methods, to identify the present species and provide a baseline data on their national prevalence and geographic distribution.

Keywords

Dirofilaria spp.; HRM RT-PCR; diagnosis; guidelines; dogs; Nigeria

Hrčak ID:

232835

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/232835

Publication date:

24.1.2020.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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