<i>Dirofilaria</i> spp. and <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i>: Current Risk of Spreading in Central and Northern Europe
Hans-Peter Fuehrer,
Simone Morelli,
Maria Sophia Unterköfler,
Anna Bajer,
Karin Bakran-Lebl,
Dorota Dwużnik-Szarek,
Róbert Farkas,
Giulio Grandi,
Mike Heddergott,
Pikka Jokelainen,
Tanja Knific,
Michael Leschnik,
Martina Miterpáková,
David Modrý,
Heidi Huus Petersen,
Karl Skírnisson,
Aleksandra Vergles Rataj,
Manuela Schnyder,
Christina Strube
Affiliations
Hans-Peter Fuehrer
Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Simone Morelli
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Maria Sophia Unterköfler
Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Anna Bajer
Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
Karin Bakran-Lebl
Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Dorota Dwużnik-Szarek
Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
Róbert Farkas
Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
Giulio Grandi
Section for Parasitology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Mike Heddergott
Department of Zoology, Musée National d’Historire Naturelle, 25, Rue Münster, 2160 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Pikka Jokelainen
Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
Tanja Knific
Institute of Food Safety, Feed and Environment, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Michael Leschnik
Clinical Unit of Internal Medicine Small Animals, Department/Universitätsklinik für Kleintiere und Pferde, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
Martina Miterpáková
Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia
David Modrý
Biology Center, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
Heidi Huus Petersen
Centre for Diagnostic, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Karl Skírnisson
Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur, University of Iceland, Keldnavegur 3, 112 Reykjavik, Iceland
Aleksandra Vergles Rataj
Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Manuela Schnyder
Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Christina Strube
Centre for Infection Medicine, Institute for Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
In the past few decades, the relevance of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, causing cardiopulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, and of Angiostrongylus vasorum, causing canine angiostrongylosis, has steadily increased in Central and Northern Europe. In this review, a summary of published articles and additional reports dealing with imported or autochthonous cases of these parasites is provided for Central (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland) and Northern (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) Europe. Research efforts focusing on Dirofilaria spp. and A. vasorum have varied by country, and cross-border studies are few. The housing conditions of dogs, pet movements, the spread of competent vectors, and climate change are important factors in the spread of these nematodes. Dogs kept outside overnight are a major factor for the establishment of Dirofilaria spp. However, the establishment of invasive, diurnal, synanthropic, competent mosquito vectors such as Aedes albopictus may also influence the establishment of Dirofilaria spp. The drivers of the spread of A. vasorum remain not fully understood, but it seems to be influenced by habitats shared with wild canids, dog relocation, and possibly climatic changes; its pattern of spreading appears to be similar in different countries. Both Dirofilaria spp. and A. vasorum merit further monitoring and research focus in Europe.
