Dirofilaria spp. and Angiostrongylus vasorum : Current Risk of Spreading in Central and Northern Europe

In the past few decades, the relevance of and , causing cardiopulmonary and subcutaneous dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, and of , causing canine angiostrongylosis, has steadily increased in Central and Northern Europe. In this review, a summary of published articles and additional reports dealing with imported or autochthonous cases of these parasites is provided for Central (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland) and Northern (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) Europe. Research efforts focusing on spp. and have varied by country, and cross-border studies are few. The housing conditions of dogs, pet movements, the spread of competent vectors, and climate change are important factors in the spread of these nematodes. Dogs kept outside overnight are a major factor for the establishment of spp. However, the establishment of invasive, diurnal, synanthropic, competent mosquito vectors such as may also influence the establishment of spp. The drivers of the spread of remain not fully understood, but it seems to be influenced by habitats shared with wild canids, dog relocation, and possibly climatic changes; its pattern of spreading appears to be similar in different countries. Both spp. and merit further monitoring and research focus in Europe.