Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection found in 26% of dogs in Hatay Turkey
By Yaman, M et al.·Published in Journal of helminthology·2009·Department of Parasitology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Hatay province, Turkey.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Hatay province, Turkey, found that 26% of dogs tested positive for heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), with the highest rates in older dogs and larger breeds. Many of the infected dogs had no visible symptoms, which is known as occult infection. The research highlighted that dogs living outdoors were more likely to be infected than those kept indoors. To protect your dog from heartworm, it's important to discuss preventive treatments with your veterinarian, especially if you live in areas where heartworm is common.
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Abstract
The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of canine dirofilariosis in Hatay province, south of Turkey. A total of 269 blood samples were collected from owned dogs in this multi-centre survey between March and July 2006. Blood samples were examined by modified Knott and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques to detect circulating microfilariae and antigens of Dirofilaria immitis, respectively. Seventy out of 269 dogs (26.0%) were positive for D. immitis. However, 61.4% of positive dogs had occult infection. The prevalence of canine dirofilariosis was heterogeneous in Hatay province, with higher values in shoreline (33.0%) and riverside (30.9%) areas followed by the lowland (25.5%) or mountainous (15.2%) areas. No statistically significant differences were observed in relation to sex (females, 33.3%; males, 24.4%, P>0.05). When evaluating the prevalence of D. immitis by age, the highest prevalence was observed in dogs older than 4 years of age. Large breeds (29.6%) and the dogs living outdoors (30.2%) showed a higher prevalence in comparison to small breeds (21.4%) and the dogs living indoors (10.5%), respectively. In conclusion, according to the results of this study canine dirofilariosis had a high prevalence in Hatay province. Therefore, prophylaxis against heartworm is advisable to decrease the incidence of canine dirofilariosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19173764/