Fifth European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days (FiEDAD) 2016

Dirofilariosis is an emerging zoonosis in Hungary. The first autochthonous Dirofilaria repens infection of dogs were diagnosed in the end of the 90's, then soon in 2007 the first dog infected with D. immitis was detected and in 2010 a pet ferret case was published, too. A first comprehensive countrywide survey showed that most of D. repens infected dog cases (prevalence: 18-46%) occurred in the eastern part of Hungary, namely on the Great Hungarian Plain along the Tisza river and its branches [1]. The findings of this earlier study were partly confirmed by later surveys [2, 3, 5], but these studies mainly focused on the heartworm incidence. It is stated [5] that the climate of the Great Hungarian Plain is the most suitable region for the establishment of D. immitis in Hungary. Although sporadic cases in wild canines (such as foxes and jackals) and domestic dogs also occur in other regions of the country it is slightly worrying that the main habitat of D. immitis might be in Szeged town or in the Southern Great Hungarian Plain. This assumption may strengthen by earlier (unpublished) and newer necropsy records [5]. Moreover the first molecular screening of the vector mosquitoes collected in Szeged revealed that not only D. immitis was present in the specimens but also DNA of D. repens [4]. So far, in Hungary human dirofilariosis is caused by D. repens. Since the first reported human case, 115 further episodes were diagnosed in Hungary [6]. Evaluation of the territorial distribution of human episodes revealed that most infections occurred in patients living in the Danube-Tisza interflow region and eastern part of the country. The spread of the "greenhouse effect" lead to the extension of the Mediterranean climatic belt to the north giving better opportunities for both vectors and worms to thrive and spawn infection. A close cooperation not only with the parasitologists, but also between practicing veterinarians and medical doctors is necessary to organise the control against both Dirofilaria species.