in Italian Cats and the Risk of Exposure by.

Abstract

, the agent of canine and feline heartworm disease (HWD), is a widespread mosquito-borne helminth. The true prevalence of HW infection in cats is likely underestimated due to the difficulty in establishing a definitive diagnosis.a recognized competent vector for, is currently considered the most invasive mosquito species worldwide and Italy presents the highest abundance ofin Europe.The present study was aimed at evaluating the current seroprevalence ofantibodies in cats in Italy. Further, the ecological niche model (ENM) was applied to evaluate the potential future risk of feline HWD associated with the presence of.Sera of 812 Italian cats were analyzed, and the average prevalence ofantibodies was 12%. Seropositivity was significantly associated with age (<6 years), whereas there was no association with sex or geographical area. Data obtained with the risk map showed that the highest risk of infection was found in northern inland areas and along coastal areas, whereas the lowest risk was identified at higher altitudes. The ENM correctly classified most of the areas whereseropositive cats were found, with 80.4% occurring in high and very high-risk areas.Results of the present study suggest that cats in Italy are exposed toinfection, and that routine prevention should be part of the general health care protocols in cats. Moreover, the resulting risk maps indicate that areas with a suitable habitat formay put cats at risk of exposure to.