Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How heartworm infection was eliminated in dogs on Linosa Island Italy
By Brianti, Emanuele et al.·Published in Emerging infectious diseases·2023·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Elimination of Dirofilaria immitis Infection in Dogs, Linosa Island, Italy, 2020-2022.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
On Linosa Island, Italy, a group of 54 dogs was tested for heartworm infection, and 28 tested positive. These dogs were treated with doxycycline for four weeks and received a monthly topical treatment to eliminate the heartworms. Within the first month, the number of infected dogs dropped significantly, and by the second month, all dogs were free of the infection. The program not only helped the dogs but also reduced the risk of heartworm spreading to humans, showing the importance of monitoring and preventive treatments.
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Abstract
On Linosa Island, Italy, Dirofilaria immitis infection has been hyperendemic in dogs and seroprevalent among islanders. In 2020, we implemented a heartworm disease elimination program on Linosa Island. Of 54 dogs tested for D. immitis antigen and microfilariae, 28 had positive results and received treatment with oral doxycycline twice daily for 4 weeks plus topical imidacloprid/moxidectin monthly for 12 months. The 26 dogs with negative results received monthly topical imidacloprid/moxidectin as preventive. During month 1, the number of microfilaremic dogs was reduced by 76.5%. From month 2 on, all animals were microfilariae negative, and during months 3 to 9, the number of antigen-positive dogs decreased progressively. Treatment of positive dogs coupled with chemoprophylaxis for noninfected dogs was effective, protecting them from new infections. The elimination program reduced the risk for human infection, representing a One Health paradigm. Monitoring and chemoprophylaxis are advocated to maintain the status of heartworm disease-free area.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37486185/