Dirofilaria immitis in cats from inner Sydney

Kendall, K.; Collins, George H.; Pope, S. E.

doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb00734.x

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Canine heartworm is considered endemic in Australia, with the principal mosquito vectors being Aedes notoscriptus and Culex annilirostris in southeast Australia [ 11 ]. Between 1970 and 1990, there was a reported increase in heartworm prevalence from 5 % to a peak of 30 % in New South Wales [ 12 – 14 ]. Heartworm was consistently found across all states and territories with highest rates of prevalence found in Queensland (36 %) and Northern Territory (90–100 %) [ 1 , 15 – 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mosquito-borne heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Australia

et al. 2016

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BackgroundHeartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in dogs is considered endemic in Australia, but the clinical heartworm disease caused by the heartworm is rare and prevalence is low. The mainstream prevention of the heartworm is based on macrocyclic lactone (ML) administration. The aim of this study was to confirm endemism of the heartworm under current Australian conditions using a cohort of recent microfilaria-positive dogs which were on variable heartworm prevention.MethodsA hotspot of canine heartworm antigen-positive and microfilaria-positive dogs has been detected recently in Queensland, Australia. Blood samples from 39 dogs from Queensland and two dogs from New South Wales were investigated for canine filarioids. Rapid antigen diagnostic tests capable of detection of D. immitis and real-time PCR for quantification and differentiation between D. immitis from Acanthocheilonema reconditum with quantification of microfilariae in canine blood samples, together with D. immitis specific real-time PCR assay, were applied to microfilaria-positive dogs. The P-glycoprotein genotype was determined to test whether Australian-sourced heartworm shared the same genetic markers as those suspected of ML-resistance in North America.ResultsOnly D. immitis was detected in the samples from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Using high resolution melt real-time PCR and D. immitis specific real-time PCR, the calculated microfilaria concentration ranged from 1 to 44,957 microfilariae/ml and from 7 to 60,526 microfilariae/ml, respectively. DNA sequencing of the PCR products confirmed D. immitis. Fifteen of the examined dogs were on putative, rigorous ML prevention. For the remaining dogs, compliance with heartworm prevention was unknown or reported as inconsistent. Wild-type genotype AA-GG of the P-glycoprotein locus of D. immitis sequence has been obtained for three blood samples. Due to the incomplete history, any suggestion of a loss of efficacy of MLs must be treated as ‘remotely possible’. In the immediate future, records of preventative administration and annual antigen testing would be required to determine any problems with the efficacy of preventatives.ConclusionsThe prevalence of canine heartworm in Australia remains poorly understood. It is generally assumed to be low by veterinary practitioners. The localised increase in the study area confirms endemism of canine heartworm and a requirement for ongoing vigilance through annual heartworm testing to better understand the changing distribution of canine heartworm, client compliance, as well as to detect any change in ML-susceptibility.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1821-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mosquito-borne heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Australia

et al. 2016

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“…In Japan, a prevalence rate of 2% has been shown for the Kanto region (143), and a prevalence rate of 3 to 5.2% has been found for domestic cats on the islands of Honshu and Kyushu (362), whereas in South Korea, 2.6% of feral cats harbored parasites (240). In Australia, adult worms were found in 2 of 101 analyzed cats from the suburbs of Sydney, and 3 others tested positive for antigens (199). Various studies have shown that feline dirofilariasis is present in other countries, such as Sierra Leone, Armenia, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Tahiti, and Papua New Guinea (309).…”

Section: Feline Dirofilariasismentioning

confidence: 99%

Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic

et al. 2012

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SUMMARY Dirofilariasis represents a zoonotic mosaic, which includes two main filarial species ( Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens ) that have adapted to canine, feline, and human hosts with distinct biological and clinical implications. At the same time, both D. immitis and D. repens are themselves hosts to symbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia , the study of which has resulted in a profound shift in the understanding of filarial biology, the mechanisms of the pathologies that they produce in their hosts, and issues related to dirofilariasis treatment. Moreover, because dirofilariasis is a vector-borne transmitted disease, their distribution and infection rates have undergone significant modifications influenced by global climate change. Despite advances in our knowledge of D. immitis and D. repens and the pathologies that they inflict on different hosts, there are still many unknown aspects of dirofilariasis. This review is focused on human and animal dirofilariasis, including the basic morphology, biology, protein composition, and metabolism of Dirofilaria species; the climate and human behavioral factors that influence distribution dynamics; the disease pathology; the host-parasite relationship; the mechanisms involved in parasite survival; the immune response and pathogenesis; and the clinical management of human and animal infections.

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“…immitis in cats in Australia are rare and relatively old 16,17 . Australian research indicates that heartworm infections in cats may be more prevalent than previously thought 9 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Infection With Dirofilaria Immitis in Cats in Townsville, Australia

Adagra

Squires

Busst

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Objective Dirofilaria immitis commonly infects Australian dogs. Studies on the prevalence of infection by this parasitic helminth in Australia cats are rare and relatively old. Data obtained from other countries would suggest a likely prevalence of 4.7–16%. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of D. immitis in an endemic region of Australia by antigen, antibody and PCR testing. Methods 172 healthy cats over 6 months of age from the Townsville region of Australia were tested for D. immitis specific antibodies and antigen using a commercially available kit. 50 samples were subsequently retested using a second commercially available antibody kit. 48 of these samples were checked for D. immitis DNA using PCR. Results No cat tested positive on any test. The Ausvet Epitools epidemiology calculator was used to calculate prevalences. Maximum antigen (1.27%), antibody (2.1%) and PCR (2.1%) prevalences were calculated. Conclusion Our results suggest that the prevalence of heartworm infection in pet cats in this region of Australia is lower than expected based on data from other areas around the world.

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Dirofilaria immitis in cats from inner Sydney

Cited by 18 publications

References 4 publications

Mosquito-borne heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Australia

Mosquito-borne heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Australia

Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic

Prevalence of Infection With Dirofilaria Immitis in Cats in Townsville, Australia

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