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Klin Monbl Augenheilkd 2010; 227(4): 332-333
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1245245
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© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Swiss Patient with a subconjunctival Dirofilaria repens

Schweizer Patientin mit einem subkonjunktivalen Dirofilaria repensS. Hasler, F. Grimm, M. A. Thiel, N. J. Müller, R. Eberhard, M. M. Bosch
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Publication Date:
20 April 2010 (online)

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Background

In moderate climate regions of Europe, mainly Italy, France and Greece, Dirofilaria repens is a wide spread nematode parasite of dogs and foxes (natural hosts). The adults live in the subcutaneous tissues and produce larval stages (microfilariae) that circulate in the blood. Parasites are transmitted between natural hosts and occasionally from natural hosts to humans (accidental hosts) by mosquitoes (Culicidae). In natural hosts, the infection is asymptomatic. Travel associated infections in dogs are increasingly recognised in non endemic regions. There are 40 species counted among the genus Dirofilaria. Among them, only a few have been reported to infect humans: D. immitis, commonly known as the dog heartworm, which leads to pulmonary lesions in humans; and D. repens, D. tenuis, D. ursi, and D. subdermata that primarily target subcutaneous tissues. Ophthalmic infections with Dirofilariae have been found in periorbital and subconjunctival tissue or rarely even within the anterior chamber or the retina. Ocular helminth infections are rarely found in the Swiss population and until today, ocular Dirofilaria repens infections have not been described in Swiss residents.

References

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Dr. Simon Hasler

Department of Ophthalmology, University of Zurich

Frauenklinikstr. 24

8091 Zurich, Switzerland

Phone: ++ 41/44/2 55 11 11

Fax: ++ 41/44/2 55 44 72

Email: sih@gmx.net

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