First report of Spirocerca lupi infection in red fox Vulpes vulpes in Greece

Abstract

During the necropsy of a red fox Vulpes vulpes that had died from poisoning, we found a nodule of 2 × 3 cm in size in the gastric wall, which was caused by the nematode Spirocerca lupi. The histological features of the parasite include a smooth cuticle, large chords of the hypodermis, muscle cells of the polymyarian/coelomyarian type and large intestine cells with prominent microvillus border. The nodule was infiltrating different layers of the gastric wall and consisted of granulation tissue, with various inflammatory cells and active fibroblasts. This is the first report of S. lupi infection in the red fox in Greece. © Wildlife Biology, NKV.