A Systematic Review and Overview of the Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in Iranian Dogs in a 10-Year Period (2013-2023)

Abstract

Introduction: Today, insect-borne diseases are increasing in the world due to climate changes, population growth, and the spread of marginalization in cities. Dirofilariasis is also considered one of the most important insect-borne parasitic diseases in the world, which can also be transmitted to humans and is considered one of the zoonotic diseases. Dirofilaria immitis is the most important type of dirofilariasis, which is a parasite of the circulatory system of humans and carnivores, especially dogs, which is known as dog heartworm. Methods: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study. D. immitis is present in many parts of Iran, and the main purpose of this study is to investigate the research related to the seroprevalence of dirofilariasis in dogs in 10 years between 2013 and 2023 in Iran. Results: According to the studies, the prevalence of dirofilariasis in dogs in this period in the studied provinces of Iran was found to be 16.59%. The highest prevalence of dirofilariasis in dogs is related to Gilan and Mazandaran provinces with 78.57% and 50% prevalence, respectively, and the lowest statistics were related to Isfahan province with 0.95% infection. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that there is a significant relationship between weather conditions and infection statistics. Furthermore, provinces with hot and humid climates have higher statistics, and provinces with desert and dry climates have lower statistics. This will be extremely effective in control programs.