BACKGROUND: Human dirofilariasis is a zoonotic infection that continues to spread to previously unaffected areas of Europe. In the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic (CR), imported as well as autochthonous canine infections were recorded in the last decade, and parasite DNA was detected in mosquitoes of Aedes vexans. In the present paper, human Dirofilaria infections are reported from the country for the first time. CASE PRESENTATION: The samples from five patients with suspected tissue helminthiases were investigated. In particular cases, nematodes were isolated from various tissues including skin of lower leg, soft tissues of finger, subcutaneous tissue of hypogastrium, lymph node and peritoneum. The diagnosis was based on light microscopic morphology and/or DNA analysis of the worms. In addition, ELISA examination of patients' sera for anti-filaria IgG antibodies was performed. CONCLUSIONS: In the CR, five cases of human dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens were recorded during 2010-2014 (species determination for three of them was confirmed besides morphological also by DNA analysis). At least, three of the cases were of autochthonous origin (the patients are Czech citizens residing in South Moravian Region who have never travelled abroad). The findings confirm the natural setting of D. repens in South Moravian Region of the CR. Dirofilariasis should be therefore considered as endemic in this area where it may represent a significant risk factor for public health.

1st Department of Pathological Anatomy Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University St Anne's University Hospital Brno Brno Czech Republic

Biology Centre Institute of Parasitology Czech Academy of Sciences České Budějovice Czech Republic

Central European Institute for Technology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Czech Republic

Department of Pathology and Parasitology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Czech Republic

Department of Virology Veterinary Research Institute Brno Czech Republic

Institute of Immunology and Microbiology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague and General University Hospital Prague Prague Czech Republic

National Reference Laboratory for Tissue Helminthoses General University Hospital Prague Prague Czech Republic

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