Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection trends and prevention in Canadian dogs 1977-2016
By McGill, Erin et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2019·Department of Population Medicine (McGill, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Heartworm infection in domestic dogs in Canada, 1977-2016: Prevalence, time trend, and efficacy of prophylaxis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Heartworm infection, a serious mosquito-borne disease, has been a concern for dogs in Canada. Over nearly four decades, studies showed a decrease in heartworm cases until the early 2000s, but there has been a rise in infections in certain areas like Manitoba and Quebec from 2007 to 2016. Preventive medications have proven highly effective, reducing heartworm infections by about 93% during the earlier years of study. Keeping your dog on heartworm prevention is crucial, especially in regions where the disease is becoming more common.
People also search for: dog heartworm prevention · symptoms of heartworm in dogs · heartworm treatment for dogs in Canada
Abstract
(heartworm) is a mosquito-borne parasite that primarily infects domestic and wild canids. The objectives of this study were to i) determine if there has been a temporal change in prevalence of heartworm infection among domestic dogs in Canada from 1977 to 2016; ii) explore the spatial extension of heartworm across Canada using choropleth maps; and iii) assess the efficacy of preventive drugs using the estimated "Attributable Fraction Exposed." Heartworm surveys that collected data from 1977 to 2010 and serological laboratory data from 2007 to 2016 were analyzed. The data depicted a decrease in heartworm prevalence, both nationally and provincially, from 1977 to the early 2000s. However, an increase in prevalence was identified for tested dog populations in Manitoba and Quebec from 2007 to 2016. Chemoprophylaxis was associated with an estimated 93.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 92.85, 93.3] reduction of heartworm infections in domestic dogs in Canada from 1977 to 2010.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31156260/