<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Autochthonous <italic>Dirofilaria repens</italic> infections have been found in dogs and other carnivores in most European countries. In the same countries, reports of human dirofilariasis are becoming increasingly prevalent. We present 18 cases of people infected with <italic>D. repens</italic> for a 10-year period traced in our hospital. The data was collected from the observations and tests of all 18 patients from the whole country treated at the Specialized Hospital for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Sofia in the period 2009 – 2018. We used a morphological method, serology test and Knott’s method for microfilariae. The patients were 11 to 74 years of age, 12 female and 6 male. In most cases, patients have subcutaneous nodules or face, eyelid and eyes localization. The trend of increasing incidence in Bulgaria continues, with age and sex distribution and localization of the larva being similar to those in other European countries.</p></abstract>

Autochthonous Dirofilaria repens infections have been found in dogs and other carnivores in most European countries. In the same countries, reports of human dirofilariasis are becoming increasingly prevalent. We present 18 cases of people infected with D. repens for a 10-year period traced in our hospital. The data was collected from the observations and tests of all 18 patients from the whole country treated at the Specialized Hospital for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases in Sofia in the period 2009 – 2018. We used a morphological method, serology test and Knott’s method for microfilariae. The patients were 11 to 74 years of age, 12 female and 6 male. In most cases, patients have subcutaneous nodules or face, eyelid and eyes localization. The trend of increasing incidence in Bulgaria continues, with age and sex distribution and localization of the larva being similar to those in other European countries.

Human dirofilariasis in Bulgaria between 2009 and 2018

University Hospital for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases “Prof. Iv. Kirov,” Medical University of Sofia

University Hospital for Emergency Medicine “Pirogov,”

Department of Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Human dirofilariasis in Bulgaria between 2009 and 2018"}

Autochthonous Dirofilaria repens infections have been found in dogs and other carnivores in most European countries. In the same countries, reports of human...

Human dirofilariasis in Bulgaria between 2009 and 2018

Published Online: Jul 27, 2019

Page range: 247 - 251

Received: Feb 26, 2019

Accepted: Apr 10, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2019-0016

Keywords
dirofilariasis, dogs, subcutaneous nodules

© 2019 V. Velev et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Human dirofilariasis in Bulgaria between 2009 and 2018

Published Online: Jul 27, 2019

Page range: 247 - 251

Received: Feb 26, 2019

Accepted: Apr 10, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2019-0016

Keywordsdirofilariasis, dogs, subcutaneous nodules

© 2019 V. Velev et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
dirofilariasis, dogs, subcutaneous nodules