Moving the boundaries to the South-East: first record of autochthonous Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a dog in Vojvodina province, northern Serbia

BACKGROUND: Angiostrongylus vasorum is a cardiopulmonary canine nematode, potentially fatal to its host. In the last decade, there has been an increasing number of autochthonous cases in areas previously considered non-endemic. However, information about the parasite’s occurrence and distribution among Central and Eastern (Southeastern) European countries are scarce. This paper reports the first recorded case of autochthonous A. vasorum infection in a hunting dog from Serbia. FINDINGS: In March 2013, a female hunting dog was presented to a veterinary clinic in Novi Sad, Serbia, for examination of a chronic skin problem. The dog had no history of respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. Faecal and urine samples were collected and examined for the presence of parasite ova/cysts. A modified Baermann test detected 8.8 larvae per gram of faeces. Based on their overall body length (mean 381.7 ± 15.9 μm; range from 342.5 to 404.3 μm; n = 12) and characteristic tail morphology, they were identified as the first-stage larvae of A. vasorum. CONCLUSIONS: The spread of A. vasorum to the southeast of Europe is further confirmed after finding autochthonous infected dog from Serbia. Therefore, veterinary professionals in Serbia should consider A. vasorum in differential diagnosis of dogs.