The ingested microfilariae develop into the infective third-stage larvae (L3) after several molts. These L3 migrate to the mosquito head and mouthparts where they are deposited in hemolymph onto mammalian skin during subsequent blood meals. After the deposited L3 enter the host through the mosquito bite wound, they molt to fourth-stage larvae (L4). The L4 then migrate through the tissues toward...

Since the mid-1990s, male-only heartworm infections have been considered undetectable using antigen tests based on experimental studies. Results from those studies are in contrast to reports decade prior showing variable male detection naturally infected animals and chemical and/or heat immune complex dissociating steps. Several recent utilizing treatment for dissociation (Heat ICD) demonstrate...

169 n BACKGROUND The prevalence of feline heartworm disease (FHD) in the United States is largely unknown, due, in part, to a previous lack of interest and understanding of heartworm infection in cats and limitations in current diagnostic methodology. Currently available antigen tests for detection of Dirofilaria immitis infections are less sensitive in the cat due to more frequent all-male inf...

Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm) principally infests canine hosts. However, human pulmonary dirofilariasis is being reported with increasing frequency, and the following case illustrates essential features of the disease. It typically presents as a solitary pulmonary nodule without symptoms and invariably requires pulmonary resection to differentiate it from primary or secondary malignancy.

Lyme disease test results for >9,000 dogs were collected from participating veterinary clinics. Testing was conducted by using the IDEXX 3Dx kit, used widely by Maine veterinarians to screen clinically normal dogs during heartworm season. This study demonstrates how this test can be a valuable public health disease surveillance tool.

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infections was examined using serum or plasma samples from 746 pet cats collected between May and July 2009 from clinics and hospitals located in and around Bangkok, Thailand. The samples were tested for heartworm, FIV, and FeLV using a commercial ELISA....

BACKGROUND Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is mosquito-borne filarial nematode capable of causing serious cardiopulmonary disease in canines and felines, and pulmonary dirofilariasis in man. This research was conducted with the objectives of determining the incidence and assessing possible risk factors of canine heartworm in the southeast of Iran. METHODS From October 2012 to September 2013, ...

BACKGROUND Dirofilaria immitis is an important parasite in dog and other carnivores. Our objective was study on incidence and periodicity of heartworm in north of Iran and using other methods for its diagnosis in addition to Parasitology exam. METHODS This survey spanned two years, between 2006 and 2008. Blood samples were collected from 431 stray dogs distributed along north of Iran, the coa...