Detection of Dirofilaria spp. in Dogs by PCR

Abstract

Knowing that dirofilariosis is an emerging zoonosis, little known and studied in Romania, the aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Dirofilaria spp. infection in dogs, in the western part of Romania. Since there is no epidemiological study on Dirofilaria spp. infection in dogs in Romania by molecular techniques, we consider opportune to examine the positive samples by this technique. Between February 2008 and August 2009 a number of 188 blood samples, from dogs in Timis and Hunedoara Counties, were collected. From the total amount of samples 96 were from Timis County and 92 were collected from Deva dog shelter, Hunedoara County. Blood samples were examination by different methods: Fresh blood smear, modified Knott's method, Diro-test Speed® Diro/Heartworm (Bio Veto Test, France), ELISA technique (D. immitis antigen) (EVL Netherlands). The positive blood samples with microfilariae were examined by PCR technique used for specific detection of D. immitis and D. repens described by (Casiraghi et al., 2006), at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine “Szent Istvan”, at Parasitology and Zoology Department, from Budapest, Hungary. All 8 dogs tested were positive for Dirofilaria repens infection