Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection rates in stray dogs in Turkey by sex and test type
By Simsek, Sami et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2011·Department of Parasitology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Microscopic, serologic and molecular surveys on Dirofilaria immitis in stray dogs, Turkey.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of stray dogs in Turkey was tested for a heartworm infection called Dirofilaria immitis. Out of 123 dogs, about 8% tested positive for the infection using a specific DNA test, while only 2% showed signs of antibodies in their blood. The study found that male dogs had a higher infection rate than females, and younger dogs (between 6 months and 1 year) were more likely to be infected than older ones. This information highlights the importance of regular testing for heartworm, especially in stray populations.
People also search for: stray dog heartworm infection · Dirofilaria immitis symptoms in dogs · heartworm prevention for dogs
Abstract
The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection was evaluated in stray dogs of Erzurum, Turkey. A total of 123 whole-blood and 93 sera samples were collected from stray dogs older than 6 months were lived in animal shelter. The PCR and direct microscopic examinations were used for the detection of microfilaria and indirect-ELISA was performed for the detection of anti-D. immitis antibodies. The prevalence of D. immitis in the canine population was 8.1% by PCR, 2.1% by ELISA. In addition, microfilaria burdens of Dirofilaria sp. was 4.8% by direct blood smear examination. There was a statistical difference (P=0.05) in the prevalence between males (10.5%) and females (2.3%) by direct blood smear examination. Similarly there was a statistical difference (P<0.05) in the prevalence between males (15.8%) and females (4.7%) by PCR. Dogs belonging to the 0.5-1 years old group showed the highest prevalence than 2-4 ages group with three tests. Among the 93 samples screened by the ELISA, two samples were positive for the D. immitis antibodies. Both positive dogs with ELISA were females.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21757293/