Prevalence of naturally occurring Dirofilaria immitis infection among nondomestic cats housed in an area in which heartworms are endemic.

OBJECTIVE To determine prevalences of heartworm exposure (ie, positive heartworm antibody test results) and heartworm infection (ie, positive heartworm antigen test results or identification of mature heartworms at necropsy) among nondomestic cats housed in an area in rural North Carolina where Dirofilaria immitis is known to be endemic and among nondomestic cats housed in areas with a low prevalence of dirofilariasis or in an area considered to be free from heartworms. DESIGN Cross-sectional prevalence survey. ANIMALS 97 nondomestic cats in North Carolina (study population) and 29 nondomestic cats in Colorado; Queensland, Australia; or Auckland, New Zealand (control population). PROCEDURE Results of serologic tests and postmortem examinations were reviewed. RESULTS Results of heartworm antibody tests were positive for 57 of 75 (76%) study cats and 1 of 29 (3%) control cats. Male study cats had a significantly higher risk of heartworm exposure than did female study cats (relative risk, 1.3). Results of heartworm antigen tests were negative for all 47 study cats and 16 control cats that were tested. Postmortem examinations were performed on 21 study cats, and 1 (5%) was found to be infected with heartworms. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that nondomestic cats housed outdoors in the southeastern United States are at risk for heartworm exposure and infection, with male cats having a greater risk of exposure than female cats.