Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection rates and prevention in pet dogs of Busan Korea
By Byeon, Kang Hyun et al.·Published in The Korean journal of parasitology·2007·Department of Parasitology, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: A serological survey of Dirofilaria immitis infection in pet dogs of Busan, Korea, and effects of chemoprophylaxis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of pet dogs in Busan, Korea, found that about 10% of dogs tested positive for heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), with outdoor dogs having a much higher infection rate of 31% compared to just 3% for indoor dogs. Male dogs were more than twice as likely to be infected as females, and infection rates increased with age until about 6 years old. Dogs that received preventive medication had significantly lower infection rates, showing that heartworm prevention is very effective. Keeping your dog indoors and using heartworm prevention can greatly reduce their risk of infection.
People also search for: heartworm prevention for dogs · why is my dog coughing · outdoor dog heartworm risk
Abstract
The status of Dirofilaria immitis infection was assessed in pet dogs of Busan, Korea, and chemoprophylactic effects of microfilaricidal medication were evaluated. A total of 294 pet dogs older than 6 mo were examined, 217 of which had been maintained indoors, and 77 had been kept outdoors. The SnapR kit and direct microscopic examinations of the peripheral blood were used. The mean overall parasite positive rates were 10.2% and 6.5%, respectively. Outdoor dogs evidenced adult worm infection rate of 31.2% and microfilaria infection rate of 18.2%. The indoor dogs, however, evidenced adult worm infection rate of 2.8% and microfilaria infection rate of 2.3%. The prevalence in males was more than 2 times that of females. The changing pattern of infection rates by age evidenced a gradual increase, from 2- to 6-year-old dogs, after which, a decrease in infection rates was noted. With regard to chemoprophylaxis, the infection rates of complete and incomplete chemoprophylaxis groups were found to be 2-3 times lower than that of the non-chemoprophylaxis group. The results of the present study indicate that the risk of exposure to D. immitis in pet dogs is quite high, particularly in male outdoor dogs, and chemoprophylactic measures were quite effective.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17374975/