First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation
<b>Purpose:</b> Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a species belonging to the <i>Dirofilaria</i> genus. Human dirofilariasis cases have increased in Europe in the last few decades. Dogs and wild canids represent the definitive hosts and principal reserv...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| author | Erik Mus Annalisa Viani Lorenzo Domenis Fabio Maradei Antonio Valastro Gianluca Marucci Claudio Giuseppe Giacomazzi Silvia Carla Maria Magnani Roberto Imparato Annie Cometto Adriano Casulli Riccardo Orusa Luca Ventre |
| author_facet | Erik Mus Annalisa Viani Lorenzo Domenis Fabio Maradei Antonio Valastro Gianluca Marucci Claudio Giuseppe Giacomazzi Silvia Carla Maria Magnani Roberto Imparato Annie Cometto Adriano Casulli Riccardo Orusa Luca Ventre |
| author_sort | Erik Mus |
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| description | <b>Purpose:</b> Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a species belonging to the <i>Dirofilaria</i> genus. Human dirofilariasis cases have increased in Europe in the last few decades. Dogs and wild canids represent the definitive hosts and principal reservoirs of <i>Dirofilaria repens,</i> while mosquito species are biological vectors. Humans act as accidental hosts, and clinical manifestations depend on the location of the worm in the organs or tissues. We described the first case of ocular dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley region (Italy). <b>Case description:</b> a 62-year-old Italian woman complained of recurrent ocular redness, pain and discomfort, accompanied by itching and foreign body sensation in the right eye. The slit lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed conjunctival congestion on the temporal region of bulbar conjunctiva, and a long whitish vermiform mobile mass was detected under the conjunctiva. The anterior chamber showed no flare or cells in either eye, and the dilated fundus examination was normal. The worm was immediately surgically removed to prevent further migration, and was diagnosed morphologically and molecularly as <i>D. repens</i>. Following surgical removal, the symptoms resolved completely and rapidly, with no recurrence of ocular symptoms recorded during 12-month follow-up visits. <b>Conclusions:</b> Ocular dirofilariasis can lead to misdiagnosis due to its rare ocular manifestations, and it is considered an emergent zoonosis in European countries. Accurate diagnosis and control of ocular dirofilariasis by <i>D. repens</i> require a multidisciplinary approach under the One Health framework to effectively address this emergent zoonosis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e0fe52cfd50741a9ad7dbdfa68b8438f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0fe52cfd50741a9ad7dbdfa68b8438f2025-08-20T02:33:58ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-04-0114542310.3390/pathogens14050423First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular ConfirmationErik Mus0Annalisa Viani1Lorenzo Domenis2Fabio Maradei3Antonio Valastro4Gianluca Marucci5Claudio Giuseppe Giacomazzi6Silvia Carla Maria Magnani7Roberto Imparato8Annie Cometto9Adriano Casulli10Riccardo Orusa11Luca Ventre12Department of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, ItalyS.C. Animal Health, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Località Amerique 7/l, 11020 Quart, ItalyExperimental Zooprofilactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria, and Aosta Valley National Reference Centre for Wildlife Diseases (CeRMAS), Loc. Amerique 7/G, 11020 Quart, ItalyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, ItalyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, ItalyEuropean Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites (EURL-P), Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyMicrobiology Unit, U. Parini Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, 11100 Aosta, ItalyInfectious Diseases Unit, U. Parini Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, 11100 Aosta, ItalyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, ItalyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, ItalyEuropean Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites (EURL-P), Unit of Foodborne and Neglected Parasitic Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, ItalyExperimental Zooprofilactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria, and Aosta Valley National Reference Centre for Wildlife Diseases (CeRMAS), Loc. Amerique 7/G, 11020 Quart, ItalyDepartment of Ophthalmology, Beauregard Hospital, Azienda USL della Valle d’Aosta, Via L. Vaccari 5, 11100 Aosta, Italy<b>Purpose:</b> Dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a species belonging to the <i>Dirofilaria</i> genus. Human dirofilariasis cases have increased in Europe in the last few decades. Dogs and wild canids represent the definitive hosts and principal reservoirs of <i>Dirofilaria repens,</i> while mosquito species are biological vectors. Humans act as accidental hosts, and clinical manifestations depend on the location of the worm in the organs or tissues. We described the first case of ocular dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley region (Italy). <b>Case description:</b> a 62-year-old Italian woman complained of recurrent ocular redness, pain and discomfort, accompanied by itching and foreign body sensation in the right eye. The slit lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed conjunctival congestion on the temporal region of bulbar conjunctiva, and a long whitish vermiform mobile mass was detected under the conjunctiva. The anterior chamber showed no flare or cells in either eye, and the dilated fundus examination was normal. The worm was immediately surgically removed to prevent further migration, and was diagnosed morphologically and molecularly as <i>D. repens</i>. Following surgical removal, the symptoms resolved completely and rapidly, with no recurrence of ocular symptoms recorded during 12-month follow-up visits. <b>Conclusions:</b> Ocular dirofilariasis can lead to misdiagnosis due to its rare ocular manifestations, and it is considered an emergent zoonosis in European countries. Accurate diagnosis and control of ocular dirofilariasis by <i>D. repens</i> require a multidisciplinary approach under the One Health framework to effectively address this emergent zoonosis.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/5/423human ocular dirofilariasis<i>Dirofilaria repens</i>filarioid nematodespublic healthzoonosesemerging diseases |
| spellingShingle | Erik Mus Annalisa Viani Lorenzo Domenis Fabio Maradei Antonio Valastro Gianluca Marucci Claudio Giuseppe Giacomazzi Silvia Carla Maria Magnani Roberto Imparato Annie Cometto Adriano Casulli Riccardo Orusa Luca Ventre First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation Pathogens human ocular dirofilariasis <i>Dirofilaria repens</i> filarioid nematodes public health zoonoses emerging diseases |
| title | First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation |
| title_full | First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation |
| title_fullStr | First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation |
| title_short | First Case of Human Ocular Dirofilariasis in the Aosta Valley Region: Clinical Management and Morphological-Molecular Confirmation |
| title_sort | first case of human ocular dirofilariasis in the aosta valley region clinical management and morphological molecular confirmation |
| topic | human ocular dirofilariasis <i>Dirofilaria repens</i> filarioid nematodes public health zoonoses emerging diseases |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/5/423 |
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