Prevalence Of Heartworm Disease Research Articles

Change in the Distribution Pattern of Dirofilaria immitis in Gran Canaria (Hyperendemic Island) between 1994 and 2020.

Dirofilariosis is a zoonotic disease that mainly affects dogs and cats, with a high risk to public health. The island of Gran Canaria (Spain) has been shown to be a hyperendemic area of infection and, therefore, a model for studying the evolution of the disease. The objective of this study was to track the prevalence and distribution of heartworm in dogs, cats, and residents of Gran Canaria from 1994 to 2020, using published and unpublished data. Blood samples from 5841 dogs, 1203 cats, and 1604 humans were collected in the years analyzed, considering geographical and isoclimatic factors. In 1994, a prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis of 67.02% in dogs was reported, while in 2020 it was 15.81%. In cats, the seroprevalence in 2010 was 33.03%, compared to 17.20% in 2020. The incidence of D. immitis in humans in 2008 was 18.66%, while in 2020 it was 8.27%. For all study groups, temperate cold zone (TC) and temperate mild zone (TM) climates had the highest prevalence. Throughout these 20 years, the prevalence of heartworm disease has decreased. Despite this, it continues to be a hyperendemic island. This study highlights the importance of using the "One Health" perspective and the risks of contagion of the disease.

Evaluation of Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Heartworm Infection for Dogs in Rio de Janeiro with Access to Veterinary Care

Heartworm infection is a chronic disease with clinical signs and effects ranging from an asymptomatic condition to severe disease and death. The prevalence of heartworm disease in the state of Rio de Janeiro has been reported to be high (21.3%). The present study was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors of heartworm infection for the canine population with access to veterinary services in different areas of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 1787 canine blood samples were obtained from 135 practices across 8 different areas of Rio de Janeiro state (Rio de Janeiro municipality, São Gonçalo municipality, Niterói municipality, Baixada Fluminense, and the northern, southern, eastern, and mountainous areas) and tested for the presence of Dirofilaria immitis antigens and antibodies against several tick-borne disease pathogens using a commercial immunochromatography technique (Vetscan® Flex 4 Rapid Test; Zoetis; NJ USA). Pet owners reported living conditions, physical characteristics, demographics, and clinical signs for evaluation of risk factors for heartworm infection. Only two evaluated risk factors were shown to enhance the risk for D. immitis infection, including having a short hair coat vs. having a medium or long hair coat (OR 2.62) or positive for antibodies to tick-borne disease parasites (OR 3.83). Clinical signs reported for dogs with heartworm disease were typical for that condition. The overall prevalence of heartworm disease in the state was 8.2%, ranging from 2.4% in the mountainous region to 29.4% in the eastern area. It could not be determined if veterinarians were not diligent about dispensing heartworm preventatives or if poor levels of compliance by dog owners were responsible for higher infection rates in some areas of the state.

Prevalence of Heartworm Disease and Associated Polyorganic Lesions in Dogs With Sudden Death, Necropsied During 2022-2023 in Timisoara, Romania

Introduction: Heartworm disease is increasingly diagnosed among the canine population from Romania. Methods: In this study, 34 dogs were necropsied between 2022 and 2023. Results: The prevalence of heartworm disease was 17.64% (6/34). Multiple organs were affected, including the pancreas, heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, and liver. Generalized circulatory changes, with thrombosis and congestive-hemorrhagic foci, were observed, along with inflammatory processes. Acute pancreatitis has been very rarely reported by scientists, highlighting the importance of the present study. Conclusion: By knowing all the lesions that can evolve and the organs that can be affected, veterinarians can improve laboratory diagnostic methods. Thus, specific biomarkers indicating degenerative processes in different organs can be supplemented to provide a more accurate diagnosis.

Infection with Dirofilaria immitis and Other Infections in Cats and Dogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: The Need for Prophylactic Enforcement.

Dirofilaria immitis, a mosquito-borne nematode that primarily infects dogs, can equally infect cats. Although there have been numerous studies on canine heartworm prevalence in Brazil, there have been few studies on feline infections. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) are both life-threatening retroviruses transmitted directly between cats. Infections with Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. are highly prevalent among dogs in Brazil, with Rhipicephalus sanguineus being the main vector for both bacteria. This study aimed to gather information on these infections among dogs and cats in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro by performing rapid point-of-care tests for prophylactic enforcement. Surplus samples of serum or plasma from private laboratories were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (SNAP Feline Triple Test or SNAP 4Dx Plus Test). The prevalence of heartworm disease was 7% among dogs and 0.9% among cats, the latter being 12.9% of the former. The prevalence of FIV and FeLV was 4.3 and 11.9%, respectively. Among dogs, the seroprevalence of Ehrlichia spp. and Anaplasma spp. was 27.1 and 9.8%, respectively, and Borrelia burgdorferi was not detected. Given that such infections circulate among pets, prophylactic measures should be encouraged by small animal practitioners.

Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in clinically normal and Dirofilaria immitis infected Korean Jindo dogs

Abstract : This study was conducted to determine the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in clinically normal(uninfected) Korean Jindo dogs and those infected with Dirofilaria (D.) immitis. Forty Korean Jindo dogs (22 females,18 males) were obtained from two kennels in the Boryeong area of Chungnam Province and the Daejeon area, Korea.Significantly higher cTnI concentrations were observed in D. immitis-infected dogs than clinically normal dogs. cTnItesting in addition to thoracic radiography, echocardiography, and electrocardiography shows promise as an additionalmethod for diagnosis of heartworm infection.Keywords : cardiac troponin I, Dirofilaria immitis, Korean Jindo dog Dirofilaria (D.) immitis resides in the pulmonary arteries,right ventricle, and right atrium of infected dogs, cats, ferretsand wild canids in temperate, tropic and subtropic zones [4].Canine heartworm disease can be manifested by thromboem-bolism, pulmonary hypertension, right-sided congestive heartfailure, and ascites. Korea is in the temperate zone and is oneof the enzootic regions of D. immitis [7, 8]. The prevalenceof heartworm disease in Korean dogs was estimated to be28.3% in a survey conducted from 1994 to 1995 that used anantigen test [3]. Using a similar antigen test, a recent surveyof several Korean provinces, conducted from 2001 to 2002,revealed an increase in the prevalence of heartworm infec-tion to 40.0% [7]. However, a recent report showed thatnumbers of cases of canine heartworm disease diagnosedfrom 2007 to 2008 had decreased, although the risk of expo-sure to this nematode in the breeding farms is still high [8].Injury to the sarcomere leads to the detachment of cardiactroponin I (cTnI) from actin, and the subsequent disruption ofthe cell membrane allows leakage of cTnI into the generalcirculation [5]. A high level of cTnI in serum or plasma isconsidered to be a very sensitive and specific indicator ofmyocardial cell damage and necrosis [5]. An elevated cTnIconcentration is associated with poor long-term outcomesand is an independent predictor of mortality [2]. The objec-tive of this study was to determine serum cTnI concentrationin Korean Jindo dogs clinically normal and uninfected orinfected with D. immitis. Forty Korean Jindo dogs (22 females, 18 males; weight,17~23 kg) were obtained from 2 kennels in the Boryeongarea of Chungnam Province and the Daejeon area, Korea.The ages of the dogs ranged from 1 to 12 years (median; 4.1years). They underwent physical examinations, and evalua-tions of serum biochemistries and cTnI concentrations. Thedogs were divided into 2 groups. Twenty dogs were assignedto the clinically normal group and 20 dogs were assigned tothe D. immitis-infected group. None of the D. immitis-infected dogs had laboratory abnormalities or clinical signssuch as exercise intolerance, dyspnea, cough, ascites and car-diac murmurs. To these dogs were therefore classified withmild canine heartworm disease severity [5]. The dogs werefasted for 12 hours prior to blood collection. Blood sampleswere collected through cephalic venipuncture, and each sam-ple was allowed to clot at room temperature for 30 min, andthen centrifuged at 1,500 × g for 5 min. Aliquots of serumwere frozen in plastic tubes at −80

Epidemiological survey of canine heartworm disease on the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands – Spain) between 2000 and 2008

Canine cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis caused by Dirofilaria immitis is endemic on the island of Gran Canaria. Epidemiological surveys have shown differences in the prevalence of heartworm disease in the canine population of the island between 1989 and 1998. The aim of the present study was to follow-up the prevalence of D. immitis in both the canine population as a whole and the Canarian Warren Hound population on Gran Canaria between 2000 and 2008. Prevalences observed were always significantly higher in the Canarian Warren Hound population than in the entire canine population. A significant decrease in the prevalence (from 30.19% to 19.36%) in the whole population was observed. In the Canarian Warren Hound the prevalence decreased slightly between 2000 and 2007 (40.42–34.65%), rising in 2008 to values higher than those observed at the beginning of follow-up study (41.6%). These changes are mainly attributed to lack of preventive chemotherapy and the prolonged exposure of the Canarian Warren Hound to mosquito bites. As this breed can act as a natural reservoir in Gran Canaria, regular surveillance is needed to detect changes in the epidemiological picture on this island.

The serologic diagnosis of heartworm infection in dogs and cats

W hether performing routine screening of asymptomatic dogs or confirming heartworm infection in dogs with suggestive clinical signs, veterinarians rely heavily on the use of serologic tests. With recent advances in serology, the potential now exists for veterinarians to use these tests in the diagnosis of heartworm disease in cats. Heartworm assays today also allow semiquantification of heartworm infection allowing the practitioner to better plan adulticide therapy considering disease severity. These assays also are used in the assessment of adulticidal efficacy. Considering the geographical increase of heartworm endemic areas and the prevalence of heartworm disease in dogs and cats, these tests are integral components of veterinary practice. This report reviews the temporal serologic consequences of heartworm infection, the varying methods of serologic testing, and guidelines for the practical use of these tests m veterinary practice.