Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection rates in dogs and cats in Hainan and coastal China
By Wang, Jinhua et al.·Published in The Journal of parasitology·2019·Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis Infections In Dogs and Cats In Hainan Island/Province and Three Other Coastal Cities of China Based On Antigen Testing and PCR.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that heartworm infections, caused by a parasite called Dirofilaria immitis, are present in some dogs and cats on Hainan Island and in three coastal cities in China. In dogs from Hainan, about 7.4% tested positive for heartworm using a specific genetic test, while only 0.5% were detected with a standard antigen test. Among 51 cats tested, nearly 10% showed signs of infection. This suggests that while heartworm is not widespread in these areas, it does occur, and genetic testing may be more effective in detecting it than traditional methods.
People also search for: dog heartworm symptoms · cat heartworm treatment · heartworm prevention for dogs · Dirofilaria immitis in pets
Abstract
Canine and feline heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis is a serious and sometimes fatal infection transmitted by mosquitos. Little is known about the prevalence or distribution of D. immitis infection in dogs and cats on the island of Hainan island/province or coastal cities of China. The present study examined the occurrence of D. immitis infections in dogs (n = 869) and cats (n = 51) in Hainan island/province and prevalence in dogs from 3 coastal cities (Shenzhen [n = 55], Shanghai [n = 69], and Hangzhou [n = 45]) in southern and eastern China. A commercial antigen detection (AD) test and 2 PCR methods (16S ribosomal RNA and Wolbachia surface protein [ WSP] genes) were used to determine the prevalence of D. immitis from animals >6 mo old with no previous history of D. immitis preventive treatment or heartworm infection. Gene sequencing was used to confirm positive PCR samples. The AD test was not used on cat samples. Using the AD test, the prevalence in dogs was 0.5% (4/869) in Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in Hangzhou. Prevalence by 16S rRNA gene PCR was 7.4% (64/869) of dogs from Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in dogs from Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in dogs from Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in dogs from Hangzhou. Prevalence by WSP gene PCR in dogs was 5.3% (46/869) in Hainan island/province, 0% (0/55) in Shenzhen, 1.5% (1/69) in Shanghai, and 0% (0/45) in Hangzhou. Prevalence in the 51 cats from Hainan island/province was 9.8% and 5.9% by 16S rRNA and WSP gene PCR, respectively. The present study demonstrates that canine heartworm exposure occurs in dogs and cats in Hainan island/province and that PCR methods detected a higher prevalence than did the AD method. The 16S rRNA gene PCR detected more positive samples than did the WSP gene PCR in both dogs and cats. The 3 coastal cities had very few dogs that had evidence of D. immitis exposure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30860942/