Nationwide molecular survey of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in companion dogs and cats, United States of America

Smith, Rachel; Murillo, Daniel Felipe Barrantes; Chenoweth, Kelly; Barua, Subarna; Kelly, Patrick J.; Starkey, Lindsay A.; Blagburn, Byron L.; Wood, Theresa; Wang, Chengming

doi:10.1186/s13071-022-05459-5

Cited by 9 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Despite the advances in molecular diagnostics, these tools have only recently been applied for the screening of filarioid species in pet and shelter populations in the US, sometimes in combination with morphological identifications (20,(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)32). Additionally, efforts should be made to design molecular assays that can overcome a dominant species bias, as seen for D. immitis/D.…”

Section: Molecular DI Erentiation Of Microfilariae In Blood and Skinmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…due to the microfilaricidal action of these substances (18). Also, the prevention of vector-borne infestations by ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes through the use of repellent and ectoparasiticides compounds has been stimulated everywhere to prevent infection by filarioids and other vectorborne pathogens (26).…”

Section: Zoonosis and Proactive Surveillance For Filarioids In Domest...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These examples underscore the need for microfilariae testing and broad awareness of possible emerging parasites among veterinary researchers, veterinarians, and public health entities. Despite advances in molecular diagnostic tools capable of detecting and differentiating filarioid nematodes to species-level, no published D. immitis or blood microfilariae prevalence or research surveys have applied molecular tools alone or in combination with morphological identifications for screening in the US prior to 2020 for sheltered dogs (23)(24)(25) and wild canids (31), or prior to 2022 for pet dogs (26,27,32).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Historically, A. reconditum and D. immitis have been recognized as endemic in the US, with O. lupi and C. bainae being unequivocally recognized only since 2011 and 2019, respectively (33)(34)(35). Most global research and surveillance efforts for filarioid nematodes of dogs have focused on the detection and differentiation of D. immitis, due to its major veterinary importance, or D. repens and multiple Brugia species of zoonotic importance in Europe, south and southeastern Asia, and Africa, where dogs, cats, and other carnivores may serve as reservoirs of infection (26). While generally considered neglected, the subcutaneous canine filarioid nematodes with dermal microfilariae such as O. lupi did not gain research attention until it was attributed to human cases in areas where this parasite is endemic, in particular within the southwestern US (36)(37)(38)(39).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cutaneous filarioid nematodes of dogs in the United States: Are they emerging, neglected, or underdiagnosed parasites?

Gruntmeir

Kelly²,

Ramos³

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Filarioid nematodes, which are vector-borne parasites of cosmopolitan distribution, of dogs are medically important. They are represented by species in which microfilariae were found to be circulating in the bloodstream (e.g., Dirofilaria sp., Acanthocheilonema sp., and Brugia sp.) or skin-dwelling (e.g., Cercopithifilaria sp. and Onchocerca sp.). Those species whose microfilariae are detected in blood have been extensively studied, especially Dirofilaria immitis, due to their clinical importance. In recent decades, there has been an increased interest by the scientific community in filarioid nematodes whose microfilariae are detected in the skin because of the zoonotic aspect of Onchocerca lupi. In the United States (US), although D. immitis has been considered the main filarioid infecting dogs, the intense animal movement and global canine filarioid diversity may indicate that the likely presence of cutaneous filarioid nematodes is more common than previously expected. Hence, a question remains: Are these canine filarioid nematodes emerging, neglected, or simply underdiagnosed in the US? In this review, we provide an overview of pertinent information that briefly summarizes the biology of the different canine filarioid nematode species, clinical signs associated with infections, and currently available diagnostic tools using molecular and microscopy-based methods and highlight knowledge gaps where research and surveillance efforts remain necessary. The data herein presented serve as an alert to the scientific community about the importance of filarioid nematodes infecting dogs other than D. immitis. Additionally, the zoonotic potential of several filarioid species reinforces the necessity of a proper diagnosis and the need for broader surveillance to understand their diversity and distribution, to highlight the potential introduction of certain species, and mitigate their establishment in the country and new animal and human cases.

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Section: Molecular DI Erentiation Of Microfilariae In Blood and Skinmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Zoonosis and Proactive Surveillance For Filarioids In Domest...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Cutaneous filarioid nematodes of dogs in the United States: Are they emerging, neglected, or underdiagnosed parasites?

Gruntmeir

Kelly²,

Ramos³

et al. 2023

Front. Vet. Sci.

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“…Heartworm disease is an arthropod-borne illness caused by Dirofilaria immitis , a filaroid nematode belonging to the family Onchocercidae [ 1 , 2 ]. Dirofilaria immitis infections are documented in both dogs and cats and exhibit a widespread distribution across the USA [ 2 , 3 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-treatment of canine plasma with heat, rather than acid, efficiently enhances Dirofilaria immitis antigen detection

Murillo,

Wang

2023

Parasites Vectors

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Background The dissociation of antigen-antibody complexes has been utilized to enhance the accuracy of serological tests for infectious diseases, including Dirofilaria immitis. Currently, the antigen detected by available tests is primarily a glycoprotein found in the reproductive tract of female worms. However, this antigen can become inaccessible when bound to excessive circulating antibodies, leading to reduced test sensitivity and false-negative results. Acid and heat treatments of the sera or plasma have been established as reliable methods for inducing immune complex dissociation (ICD). Previous antigen testing for heartworm infection in dogs and cats has demonstrated that these treatments improve the diagnostic sensitivity without compromising specificity. This study aims to evaluate the performance of four distinct ICD methods in the detection of D. immitis antigen. Methods We utilized twofold serial dilutions of a well-characterized plasma (ranging from 1:2 to 1:4096) obtained from a D. immitis-infected dog to simulate the diverse antigen levels encountered in real-life infected dogs. The presence of antigen in the diluted samples, both without treatment and treated with four ICD protocols, was assessed in triplicate visually using DiroCHEK® by observing color changes. OD values were also obtained using the microplate reader SpectraMax® i Series-Spectramax Id3. A Factorial ANOVA test was conducted to compare the OD values between samples with and without treatments. Results The highest dilution at which color changes were observed was 1:128 for untreated samples and for samples subjected to acid treatments in ICD-3 and the hybrid ICD-4 protocol. In contrast, both heat treatment protocols (ICD-1 and ICD-2) exhibited color changes at a 512-fold dilution. The OD values in samples subjected to heat treatment were significantly higher than those in untreated samples, up to dilutions of 512-fold. Although OD values tended to be higher in samples subjected to acid treatment and the hybrid protocol compared to untreated samples up to a 128-fold dilution, this difference was not significant as the samples underwent further dilution. Conclusions Our findings affirm that heat treatments, rather than acid treatment, efficiently enhance the detection of D. immitis antigen by liberating the sequestered antigen from the immune complexes.

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Dirofilaria immitis conquering the regions in Slovakia previously endemic for D. repens

Miterpáková,

Valentová,

Hurníková

2023

Parasitol Res

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The present study was focused on the current state of Dirofilaria species distribution in the territory of the Slovak Danubian Lowland, a region previously identified endemic for Dirofilaria repens. For the research, blood samples of 330 dogs tested positive for dirofilariosis using concentration tests or “rapid heartworm tests” were sent by private veterinary practitioners for further DNA analyses and species determination. The results revealed an unquestionable change in the pattern of Dirofilaria species distribution with Dirofilaria immitis, diagnosed as the agent of mono- and co-infections with D. repens, responsible for 60.00% of all cases. The results showed that in the course of the last 5 years, D. immitis has spread significantly in Slovakia and has become the dominant causal agent of dirofilariosis in the former endemic areas of D. repens distribution, which increases infection risk for both dogs and humans.

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Nationwide molecular survey of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in companion dogs and cats, United States of America

Cited by 9 publications

References 27 publications

Cutaneous filarioid nematodes of dogs in the United States: Are they emerging, neglected, or underdiagnosed parasites?

Cutaneous filarioid nematodes of dogs in the United States: Are they emerging, neglected, or underdiagnosed parasites?

Pre-treatment of canine plasma with heat, rather than acid, efficiently enhances Dirofilaria immitis antigen detection

Dirofilaria immitis conquering the regions in Slovakia previously endemic for D. repens

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