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Pathogens
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Dirofilariosis and Angiostrongylosis in Animals and Humans: A Global Challenge
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Dirofilariosis and Angiostrongylosis in Animals and Humans: A Global Challenge

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 3381

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Morchón García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Zoonotic Disease and One Heatlh Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Miguel Unamuno, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Interests: human-animals interactions; parasitology; zoonotic parasite; one health; vector-borne disease; host-parasite relationship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Anastasia Diakou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: feline and canine parasitology; cardiopulmonary nematodes; zoonotic parasites; wildlife parasitology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elena Carretón

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Interests: small animals; zoonosis; host–parasite relationship; cardiorespiratory medicine; vector-borne disease; one health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marco Genchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Science, Parasitology Unit, University of Parma, Strada del Taglio, 10, 43126 Parma, Italy
Interests: veterinary medicine; zoonosis; parasitology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the impact of dirofilariosis and angiostrongylosis on canine and feline populations has increased markedly. This is due, among other factors, to an increase in epidemiological studies in various parts of the world, both prospective and current. It has been shown that in places or countries where these diseases are studied, numerous cases appear. Also important are studies related to parasite–host interactions, pathology, improvements in treatment and the latest advances in diagnosis. Dirofilariosis is a much better-known disease than angiostrongylosis and is also considered a zoonosis, which, from a public health point of view, has a greater impact.

This Special Issue on dirofilariasis and angiostrongylosis aims to bring together the most recent studies on the epidemiology and incidence of both diseases in domestic and wild animals and humans, where appropriate, caused by the different parasites (Dirofilaria immitis, D. repens, Angiostrongylus vasoum, A. cantonensis, A. costaricensis...) in different parts of the world. Additionally, it will focus on improvements in diagnosis; treatment and control; proteomic, immunomic and molecular studies as well as studies focusing on the parasite–host relationship and the One Health dimension.

Prof. Dr. Rodrigo Morchón
Prof. Dr. Anastasia Diakou
Dr. Elena Carretón
Dr. Marco Genchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dirofilaria
  • angiostrongylus
  • zoonosis
  • one health

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 2282 KiB  
Article
Wolbachia Promotes an Anti-Angiogenic Response Using an In Vitro Model of Vascular Endothelial Cells in Relation to Heartworm Disease
by Manuel Collado-Cuadrado, Claudia Alarcón-Torrecillas, Iván Rodríguez-Escolar, Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente, Elena Infante González-Mohino, Miguel Pericacho and Rodrigo Morchón
Pathogens 2024, 13(7), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13070603 - 22 Jul 2024
Viewed by 880
Abstract
Heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease responsible for the infection of mainly domestic dogs and cats, or these are those for which the most data are known. Humans are an accidental host where a benign, asymptomatic pulmonary nodule [...] Read more.
Heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease responsible for the infection of mainly domestic dogs and cats, or these are those for which the most data are known. Humans are an accidental host where a benign, asymptomatic pulmonary nodule may originate. Dirofilaria immitis also harbours the endosymbiont bacteria of the genus Wolbachia, which play a role in moulting, embryogenesis, inflammatory pathology, and immune response. When Wolbachia sp. is released into the bloodstream, endothelial and pulmonary damage is exacerbated, further encouraging thrombus formation and pulmonary hypertension, facilitating congestive heart failure and death of the animal. Previous studies have shown that parasite excretory/secretory products are able to activate the pro-angiogenic pathway (formation of new vessels) to facilitate parasite survival. The aim of this study was to analyse the role of Wolbachia sp. and its relationship with the cellular processes and the angiogenic pathway in a model of human endothelial cells in vitro. The use of recombinant Wolbachia Surface Protein (rWSP) showed that its stimulation exerted an anti-angiogenic effect by detecting an increase in the production of VEGFR-1/sFlt1 and sEndoglin and did not affect the production of VEGFR-2 and mEndoglin (pro-angiogenic molecules). Furthermore, it did not stimulate cell proliferation or migration, although it did negatively stimulate the formation of pseudocapillaries, slowing down this process. These cellular processes are directly related to the angiogenic pathway so, with these results, we can conclude that Wolbachia sp. is related to the stimulation of the anti-angiogenic pathway, not facilitating the survival of D. immitis in vascular endothelium. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dirofilariosis and Angiostrongylosis in Animals and Humans: A Global Challenge)
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11 pages, 728 KiB  
Article
Heat Treatment Augments Antigen Detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Apparently Healthy Companion Dogs (3.8% to 7.3%): Insights from a Large-Scale Nationwide Survey across the United States
by Daniel Felipe Barrantes Murillo, Annie Moye and Chengming Wang
Pathogens 2024, 13(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13010056 - 6 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1997
Abstract
Background: Heartworm disease (HWD) is a vector-borne disease caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis. Low antigen levels caused by immune complex formation preclude HWD diagnosis. Heat treatment is an immune complex dissociation technique used to enhance antigen detection. Only a few [...] Read more.
Background: Heartworm disease (HWD) is a vector-borne disease caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis. Low antigen levels caused by immune complex formation preclude HWD diagnosis. Heat treatment is an immune complex dissociation technique used to enhance antigen detection. Only a few studies have reported the benefits of heat treatment in nationwide surveys. Methods: To investigate the impact of heat treatment on the seroprevalence of HWD in companion dogs in the USA, serum samples (n = 3253) were analyzed for D. immitis antigen (DiroCHEK®, Zoetis) without and with heat treatment of the samples. Results: Compared to sera without heat treatment, heat treatment significantly increased overall prevalence from 3.8% (123/3253) to 7.3% (237/3253) (p < 10−4), expanding antigen detection from 32 to 39 of the 48 states and Washington District of Columbia included in this study. Conclusions: This study represents the largest nationwide survey of HW antigen detection in dogs in the US applying heat treatment to canine sera. The heat treatment used herein has the advantage of requiring a low volume of serum, making it optimal for use in routine diagnosis. Heat treatment should be used routinely by reference laboratories and veterinary clinics in patients with a negative initial test. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dirofilariosis and Angiostrongylosis in Animals and Humans: A Global Challenge)
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