Angiostrongylus vasorum: endemic in the Netherlands?
Summary
Until recently, autochthonous infections with Angiostrongylus vasorum were not thought to be found in the Netherlands, but in the past year four dogs have been diagnosed with angiostrongylosis. Three of them had never been abroad. These cases gave rise to further research in order to increase the plausibility of endemic foci of A. vasorum in the Netherlands. Between January 2008 and April 2008 485 faecal samples from dogs were collected by veterinarians, hunting associations and kennel clubs. First-stage larvae of A. vasorum were to be recovered by the Baermann technique. As a result larvae were identified in faecal samples from four dogs. Three of those had never been outside the Dutch borders. Although an endemic focus can’t be defined by these results, A. vasorum should now be considered endemic to the Netherlands.