Dirofilaria repens in the Russian Federation: current epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment from a federal reference center perspective.

Background: Dirofilariasis is an emerging zoonotic infection in which the human serves as an accidental host. Russia has been one of the most important endemic regions worldwide for Dirofilaria repens, the most prevalent Dirofilaria species in Europe.

Methods: Based on a cohort of patients at the Rostov Medical University, we provide an epidemiological description of 236 human cases, reporting common clinical symptoms and treatment options for D. repens infections in humans. The performance of a non-commercial immunoassay was validated in a diagnostic sub-study (diagnostic accuracy 83%). Data from mosquito surveys and cross-sectional surveys of dogs, the main reservoir of D. repens, are also presented.

Results: Results showed important variations in prevalence depending on sex, geographic location, and the use of dogs (professional service dogs or pets).

Conclusions: The particularly high prevalence of Dirofilaria infection in professional dogs used in the police force and armed forces poses a particular problem, since these dogs may serve as epidemiologically important amplifiers within the region of the former Soviet Union.