Jun 13, 2022

Heterobilharzia americana infection in dogs

In this VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review Heterobilharzia americana (HA) infections in dogs. HA is a trematode parasite that can infect our canine patients, causing a condition known as schistosomiasis and potentially severe granulomatous disease. We know that specific snails are the intermediate host, and that dogs swimming in freshwater lakes or streams are often exposed to the free cercariae that have been released by an infected snail. The organisms infect the dog by dermal penetration, and can then migrate via the bloodstream to cause damage elsewhere and eventually to mate. Specifically, the organisms move to the liver and to the lungs, where they sexually mature into adult parasites. These adults can move via the portal system, and they mate and release fertilized eggs in the mesenteric veins. Enzymes facilitate transport of the eggs into the intestines, and they are ultimately excreted in the feces. To round out this process, a new stage of the organism, the flagellated miracidia, is released from the eggs to infect snails if the feces comes in contact with fresh water. And so the cycle continues! You may be wondering what this infection looks like in dogs. When should this be on a clinician’s radar, how do we test for it, and what does the diagnosis mean for patient care? Rather than diving into the full clinical details of this disease now, instead we will discuss a fascinating study by Graham et al entitled Heterobilharzia americana infection in dogs: A retrospective study of 60 cases (2010-2019) that sought to provide an updated description of the clinical findings, treatment responses, and outcome of dogs diagnosed with HA.

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