Candidatus Dirofilaria Hongkongensis Infections in Humans During 2005 to 2020, in Kerala, India


Citation
Kumar et al. (2021). The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 104 (6)
Names (1)
Ca. Dirofilaria
Subjects
Infectious Diseases Parasitology Virology
Abstract
Abstract.We tried to determine the epidemiology and species of human dirofilariasis observed at two tertiary care hospitals in Kerala. We searched the hospital database to identify cases of dirofilariosis from January 2005 to March 2020. Along with human isolates, one dog Dirofilaria isolate was also subjected to PCR and sequencing of pan filarial primers cytochrome oxidase subunits 1 and 12S rDNA. We documented 78 cases of human dirofilariosis. The orbit, eyelid, and conjunctiva were the most commonly affected sites. Molecular characterization identified one dog and five human isolates as Candidatus Dirofilaria Hongkongensis. A rare case of subconjunctival infestation by B. malayi was also documented. Human dirofilariosis is a public health problem in the state of Kerala in India, and it is mostly caused by Candidatus Dirofilaria Hongkongensis. We propose that all diroifilaria isolates are subjected to sequencing for identification.
Authors
Publication date
2021-06-02
DOI
10.4269/ajtmh.20-1521