Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dirofilaria parasite found in dogs and mosquitoes in Puducherry
By Manikannan, Jagatheesh et al.·Published in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·2025·Unit of One Health, India·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: First report on the enzootic maintenance of Dirofilaria sp. hongkongensis in the canine hosts and mosquito vector Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillet) in Puducherry.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 293 dogs in Puducherry, India, were tested for a parasite called Dirofilaria, which can cause health issues in dogs and humans. Only 4 dogs tested positive for the parasite, identified as Dirofilaria sp. hongkongensis, while mosquitoes in the area did not show signs of carrying the parasite. However, some mosquitoes did have larvae, indicating a potential risk for spreading the infection. This situation highlights the importance of monitoring and controlling the spread of this parasite to protect both pets and people.
People also search for: dog Dirofilaria infection symptoms · how to prevent heartworm in dogs · dog mosquito-borne diseases
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Dirofilariasis is a re-emerging zoonosis caused by the nematode Dirofilaria spp., parasitizing canines, felines and humans and transmitted by mosquito vectors of the Culicidae family. Currently, reports of human dirofilariasis are increasing in India and thus we explored the occurrence of Dirofilaria infection among dogs and mosquitoes in Puducherry, India. METHODS: Two millilitres of blood collected from 293 dogs from Puducherry was subjected to microscopy and Dirofilaria screening polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ITS2 gene. Mosquitoes trapped from areas with filaria-positive dogs were also subjected to PCR and representative samples were dissected for microscopy. The partially amplified ITS1, COX1 and 12s recombinant RNA genes from positive samples were sequenced for phylogeny. RESULTS: Only 4 among the 293 dogs tested positive for Dirofilaria by microscopy and PCR and the parasite was identified as Dirofilaria sp. hongkongensis. None of the mosquito pools (n=39) tested positive by PCR. However, the presence of microfilaria and larvae was evident in Armigeres subalbatus (n=2) mosquitoes. CONCLUSIONS: The abundance of the vectors, susceptible dog population and ecosystem in Puducherry confers a congenial niche for the parasite and poses a risk for human transmission. Implementation of one health-based control measure would help to curtail the infection.
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/40165753/