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. 2022 Mar 30;11(4):420.
doi: 10.3390/pathogens11040420.

The European Badger as a New Host for Dirofilaria immitis and an Update on the Distribution of the Heartworm in Wild Carnivores from Romania

Angela Monica Ionică  1   2 , Georgiana Deak  1 , Radu Boncea  3 , Călin Mircea Gherman  1 , Andrei Daniel Mihalca  1
Affiliations

The European Badger as a New Host for Dirofilaria immitis and an Update on the Distribution of the Heartworm in Wild Carnivores from Romania

Angela Monica Ionică et al. Pathogens. .

Abstract

Dirofilaria immitis is an important mosquito-borne nematode, being of both veterinary and public health concern. The typical final host is represented by the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, but it is able to infect a large variety of mammalian species. During the present study (March 2016-February 2022), a total of 459 wild carnivore carcasses belonging to 17 species, from Romania, were evaluated for the presence of adult D. immitis by necropsy. Overall, 20 animals (4.36%) were positive: twelve golden jackals, C. aureus (19.05%); four red foxes, Vulpes vulpes (6.67%); one raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides; two wild cats, Felis silvestris (4.65%); and one European badger, Meles meles (0.87%). This study provides further evidence of the occurrence of the canine heartworm, D. immitis, in Romania, expanding the known host spectrum, reports a new host species for this parasite, the European badger, and a new host for Europe, the raccoon dog.

Keywords: Dirofilaria immitis; Meles meles; Romania; hosts; wild carnivores.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The distribution of D. immitis infection in wild carnivores examined in Romania.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Microfilariae detected by modified Knott’s test in golden jackal (a), red fox (b), and European badger (c), 4× objective; and detail in European badger (d), 10× objective.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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