Ectopic canine dirofilariasis in the abdominal cavity
Case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v20n2e1911Keywords:
Cardiology, nematode, erratic parasitismAbstract
We report the incidental finding of a live and intact filariid worm within the abdominal cavity of a mixed-breed female dog, identified during an elective ovariohysterectomy. The patient exhibited no clinical signs compatible with dirofilariasis in the preoperative period, and the medical history revealed no prior chemoprophylaxis or treatment for the infection. The specimen was collected and preserved in 70% ethanol for laboratory analyses. Morphological characterization identified the nematode as a male of Dirofilaria immitis, a diagnosis that was corroborated by molecular analysis based on sequencing of the mitochondrial 12S rDNA gene.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rafaela Pereira de Souza, Karina Varella Arpon, Beatriz Elise de Andrade Silva, Débora Sá Lemes, Arnaldo Maldonado Júnior, Ponan Mattoso Rubim, José Luís Luque, Raquel de Oliveira Simões
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