This study was conducted to investigate the low prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Johor Bahru as reported by veterinary practitioners, using wet blood mount, Knott’s Concentration Test and two heartworm antigen test kits (IDEXX Canine SNAP® 4Dx and RapiGEN®). This study also compared the two test kits used and determined the microfilaria species. Blood were collected from 100 owned d...

A survey was conducted in the eastern part of Romania to assess the prevalence and geographical distribution of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs. Plasma samples were collected from 458 stray dogs hosted in shelters in 8 counties and tested serologically for the presence of heartworm. In addition, 45 blood samples from dogs of a shelter in Galati city were examined by the modified Knott and multiplex...

Dirofilaria immitis is a filarial nematode causing infection and heartworm disease in dogs and other canids, cats, and occasionally in humans. Prevention with macrocyclic lactones (ML) is recommended during the mosquito transmission season. Recently, ML resistance has been reported. ABC-B transporter genes are thought to be involved in the mechanism of ML resistance in other nematodes. This stu...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of the filarial parasites,ie.,Brugia malayi, Brugia, Brugia pahangi(B. pahangi), Dirofilaria immitisandDirofilaria repens (D. repens) in domestic and stray cats. METHODS A total of 170 blood sample were collected from domestic and stray cats and examined for filarial worm parasites in two localities, Pulau Carey and Bukit Gasing, Selangor State, Malaysia....

Somatic antigens from third stage larvae of Dirofilaria immitis (SL3) were used to detect IgG response against heartworm infection in 8 experimentally infected cats. A moderate specific anti-SL3 IgG response was found one month post-infection. Afterwards, antibodies decreased reaching a basal level 4 months post-infection and remained at this level until the end of the study. 6 months post-infe...

A fundamental role for the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis in the pathogenesis of Dirofilaria immitis infections has emerged in recent years. Diagnostic opportunities arising from this breakthrough have not yet been fully exploited. This study was aimed at developing conventional and real-time PCR assays to carry out a molecular survey in a convenience sample of cats living in an are...

This study was performed to examine the vector competence of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus for Dirofilaria immitis. Eleven individual experiments were conducted in this study. Nonthaburi and Udon Thani strains of Ae. aegypti were allowed to feed on infected dogs that had 5,750 and 4,600 microfilariae (mW) per ml of blood, respectively. Three groups of Bangkok-strain Cx. quinquefascia...

Starting from milbemycin D (1), milbemycin A4 (2) and milbemycin A3 (3), a series of 5-keto-5-oxime derivatives were synthesized by selective oximation at the alpha,beta-conjugated carbonyl function of the 5-ketomilbemycins (4-6). The activities of the synthesized compounds were studied in dogs naturally infested with microfilariae of Dirofilaria immitis. The 5-keto-5-oximes of milbemycin D (7)...

Infection with the intravascular parasite Dirofilaria immitis is an increasingly recognized problem in domestic dogs and cats. Heartworm infection is preventable; however, once an animal is infected, heartworm disease and potentially life-threatening complications can develop. An understanding of the heartworm life cycle and transmission season, the limitations of testing methods, and the clini...