Clinical Management and Challenges in the Treatment of Spirocerciasis in Wildlife

Spirocercosis, caused by the nematode Spirocerca lupi, is a parasitic disease with a cosmopolitan distribution that affects domestic canids and wild carnivores. This study presents a narrative review of the literature on the clinical management, diagnosis, and treatment challenges of this infection, with an emphasis on its occurrence in wild animals and atypical presentations, such as erratic migration to the spinal cord. Definitive diagnosis in vivo remains challenging due to the low sensitivity of conventional coproparasitological techniques, necessitating the integration of endoscopic examinations, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and molecular tools (qPCR). In terms of treatment, although macrocyclic lactones (such as doramectin and moxidectin) form the basis of therapy, severe or intramedullary infections require intensive regimens combined with corticosteroids to prevent irreversible sequelae. Furthermore, the lack of efficacy and safety data in wild animals, combined with the risk of anthelmintic resistance, underscores the importance of searching for new therapeutic and immunoprophylactic targets based on the parasite’s genomic mapping.