Latest studies show, that not only worldwide, but also in Germany
the prevalence of A. vasorum has increased in the dog population
over the last years (Barutzki und Schaper, 2009; Hermosilla et al.,
2009; Taubert et al., 2009). Therefore, the aim of this study was
to investigate the relevance of this lungworm in dogs in the state
of Bavaria, Germany. Faecal samples of three consecutive days were
examined for presence of A. vasorum larvae in a total of 276 dogs
from Bavaria between April 2008 and April 2010 by the Baermann
funnel technique. Of these 276 dogs, 160 showed clinical signs
suspicious for canine angiostrongylosis. Of those 160 dogs, 90
showed respiratory disease, 47 had neurological signs, and 23 dogs
had bleeding disorders. In addition, a control group of 116
clinically healthy dogs from Bavaria were coprologically examined
for lungworm infections. A second aim of the study was to
investigate clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings of
A.-vasorum-positive dogs. Only one of the 276 examined dogs was
tested positive for A. vasorum. This dog belonged to the group with
respiratory signs. Thus, the prevalence for all 276 dogs was 0.36
%. The prevalence for the 160 dogs with suspicious clinical signs
was 0.63 %, while 1.11 % of dogs in the respiratory group were
A.-vasorum-positive. The A.-vasorum-infected dog was an eleven year
old, female Labrador-Mix from the city of Munich. The dog was
presented because of acute cough, retching, and anorexia.
Laboratory findings were eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, and
hyperglobulinemia. Thoracic radiographs showed a mixed
alveolar-interstitial lung pattern with diffuse micronodular
opacities. The prevalences established in this study show that the
risk of an infection with A. vasorum in dogs with suspicious
clinical signs as well as in clinically healthy dogs in Bavaria can
be considered low at the moment. However, recent studies have shown
that the prevalence of A. vasorum has increased over the last years
in Germany (Barutzki und Schaper, 2009; Hermosilla et al., 2009;
Taubert et al., 2009), and high prevalences have been detected in
the German states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Saarland (Barutzki und
Schaper, 2009). Therefore, it cannot be excluded that the
prevalence of A. vasorum in Bavaria and other German states might
increase in the future. As a consequence, practicing veterinarians
in Germany should be familiar with the various clinical signs
associated with canine angiostrongylosis and should always consider
an infection as a possible differential diagnosis in dogs with
suspicious clinical signs.
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