Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heartworm infection is rare in dogs in Washington state
By Foreyt, W J & Lagerquist, J E·Published in The Journal of parasitology·1991·Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serological survey for heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in dogs in Washington.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of 601 dogs in Washington found that only three dogs tested positive for heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis), which is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes. All three positive cases were dogs that had lived in other states before coming to Washington. Over the past nine years, no heartworms have been found in over 1,200 dogs tested at a local diagnostic lab. This suggests that the risk of heartworm infection for dogs living in Washington is currently very low.
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Abstract
The serologic prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis infection in 601 dogs in Washington was investigated in 1989-1990. Blood samples for serum were obtained from dogs approximately 2 yr of age or older in humane society shelters (n = 392) or veterinary clinics (n = 209). Serum samples were tested for heartworm infection using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay antigen test. Three (0.5%) dogs were positive for D. immitis infection, all of which were born and lived several years in states other than Washington. Heartworms have not been detected during the last 9 yr in the 1,203 dogs examined at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Pullman, Washington. Consequently, the likelihood of indigenous heartworm infections in dogs in Washington remains low at this time.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1919936/