Occurrence of Dioctophyme renale larvae (Goeze, 1782) (Nematoda: Enoplida) in a new host from southern Brazil

Abstract Dioctophymatosis is caused by the giant kidney worm Dioctophyme renale which occurs in dogs, cats, and wild mammals. In Brazil, the disease has been diagnosed in dogs from several states around the country. In the present study, the occurrence of D. renale larvae in snakes from southern of Brazil is reported. Three specimens of Philodryas patagoniensis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) (common names in Brazil: “parelheira”, “papa-pinto”) roadkill in the county of Capão do Leão, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, were necropsied. Two third-stage larvae of D. renale were found in the coelomic cavity of P. patagoniensis. This study reveals a new host for D. renale larvae in the southern region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This particular geographic area of the country has stood out as several cases of D. renale infection have been reported in a number of vertebrates from this region including domestic dogs and cats and wild animals such as carnivores, fish, and freshwater turtles.

摘要 肾膨结线虫病（Dioctophymatosis）由巨肾虫肾膨结线虫（Dioctophyme renale）引起，该寄生虫可感染犬、猫及野生哺乳动物。在巴西，该国多个州的犬只中均已确诊该病例。本研究报道了巴西南部地区蛇类体内肾膨结线虫幼虫的检出情况。研究人员对在巴西南部南里奥格兰德州卡庞杜莱昂县发现的3条道路碾压致死的巴塔哥尼亚斜纹蛇（Philodryas patagoniensis，蛇目：游蛇科，巴西俗称"parelheira"、"papa-pinto"）进行了尸检，在该蛇的体腔中检出2条肾膨结线虫三期幼虫。本研究明确了巴西南部南里奥格兰德州地区肾膨结线虫幼虫的一种新宿主。该国该特定区域已备受关注，此前已有多篇报道记录了该区域多种脊椎动物的肾膨结线虫感染病例，涉及家养犬猫以及食肉动物、鱼类、淡水龟类等野生动物。