DISEASE OF SERVICE DOGS WITH DIROFILARIASIS ON THE TERRITORY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

Service dogs are an important source of distribution and maintenance of dirofilariasis foci in various territories due to the frequent change of their places of service and movement throughout Russia. The aim of our work was to study the dynamics of infection of working dogs and their role in the spread of dirofilariasis. On the basis of Federal Budget Institution of Science of Rostov Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, studies of the invasion of dogs by dirofilariasis have been conducted from 2000 to the present. In 2018, 159 blood samples of dogs from different territories of the European part of Russia were examined using the blood larvoscopy method after concentration in 3% acetic acid with subsequent staining according to Romanovsky-Giemsa. The results of a survey of dogs that arrived in Rostov-on-Don to protect socially significant objects in June 2018 showed that the prevalence of infection of working dogs was 13%. Animals from the territories of central Russia were infected in 16.6% of cases, the same indicator in dogs from the territories of southern Russia was 9.1%. The infection of service dogs of Dirofilaria repens was 8.7%, Dirofilaria immitis – 1.4%, and mixed infection was detected in 2.9% of the dogs. In the south of Russia, the prevalence of dogs with Dirofilaria immitis and mixed invasion is prevalent, while Dirofilaria repens dominates in the central zone. Analyzing the data obtained and previous research results, one can note the fact that active preventive measures have led to a decrease in the incidence of dirofilariasis among working dogs. However, the average extensiveness of this dog invasion remains high.