Diagnostic characteristics of Dirofilaria subdermata in cross sections

Abstract

A study of morphological characteristics in cross sections of D. subdermata adults from the subcutaneous tissues of the Canadian porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is reported. A useful diagnostic feature which differentiates D. subdermata from a closely related filarid, D. ursi, occurring in bears, was found to be the number of longitudinal ridges. The relevance of these findings are discussed in relation to the human subcutaneous infections found in the USA and Canadian border states and provinces with D. ursi.