Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm worm counts and artery changes in Michigan dogs
By Kaiser, Lana & Williams, Jeffrey F·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2004·Department of Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dirofilaria immitis: worm burden and pulmonary artery proliferation in dogs from Michigan (United States).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Michigan were found to have heartworm infections, with most having an average of 14 adult heartworms in their hearts and lungs. Despite the availability of heartworm prevention, these infections remain a significant issue for dogs in the area. The study showed that a majority of the dogs had fewer than 10 heartworms, which might make diagnosing the infection more difficult compared to warmer regions where dogs tend to have higher worm counts. This highlights the importance of regular heartworm testing and prevention, especially in northern states.
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Abstract
Despite the ability to prevent heartworm disease, infection with Dirofilaria immitis continues to be a major problem for domestic dogs. To determine worm burden in heartworm-positive dogs from three county animal shelters in the state of Michigan in the United States and to assess the relationship between gross intimal proliferation and worm burden, necropsy was done on 176 heartworm-positive dogs. Adult heartworms were found in the heart and pulmonary artery of 170 of the 176 (96.6%) dogs examined. Mean worm burden was 14 +/- 13 (range 0-85). Fifty-nine percent of dogs had < or =10 heartworms. In contrast, 52% of dogs in a published report from the southern US (Florida) had worm burdens >10 [C.H. Courtney, Q.Y. Zeng, The structure of heartworm populations in dogs and cats in Florida, in: Proceedings of the American Heartworm Symposium, 1989]. These data suggest that mean worm burden in northern areas may be < or = that in warmer areas. Also, since diagnostic tests are less sensitive with lower worm burdens, diagnosis of heartworm infection in Michigan and other surrounding more northern states may be a greater challenge than in areas with higher worm burdens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15350667/