Subcutaneous dirofilariosis in South-East Serbia--case report

Human dirofilariosis is a relatively rare infection caused by filarial worms of the genus Dirofilaria. We herein report the first case of human subcutaneous dirofilariosis in the southeastern part of Serbia. A complete alive nematode was removed from a nodule in the periorbital region of a 50-year-old woman. The nematode was morphologically identified as a D. repens-like immature female. The diagnosis was confirmed with molecular methods. The patient was probably infected in the South-East Serbia as she had not travelled abroad, nor in other parts of Serbia such as Vojvodina, recently identified as a hyperendemic area for D. repens infection of dogs.