Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T23:00:08.647Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seroprevalence of heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in feline and canine hosts from central and northern Portugal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2014

L. Vieira ,
A.C. Silvestre-Ferreira ,
A.P. Fontes-Sousa ,
A.C. Balreira ,
R. Morchón ,
E. Carretón ,
H. Vilhena ,
F. Simón  and
J.A. Montoya-Alonso
L. Vieira
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
A.C. Silvestre-Ferreira
Affiliation:
Centro de Estudos Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (CECAV) - Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
A.P. Fontes-Sousa
Affiliation:
Laboratório de Farmacologia e Neurobiologia/UMIB, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto (ICBAS-UP), Rua Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313Porto, Portugal
A.C. Balreira
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal
R. Morchón
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007Salamanca, Spain
E. Carretón
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain
H. Vilhena
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Medicine, Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Coimbra, Portugal; Baixo Vouga Veterinary Hospital, Águeda, Portugal
F. Simón
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, 37007Salamanca, Spain
J.A. Montoya-Alonso*
Affiliation:
Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Arucas, Las Palmas, Spain
*
*E-mail: amontoya@dpat.ulpgc.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dirofilaria immitis is endemic in Portugal. Several studies have reported the presence of canine heartworm disease, although no previous studies on feline infections have been published. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of D. immitis in cats and dogs from central and northern Portugal. Blood samples from 434 cats were tested for circulating anti-D. immitis and anti-Wolbachia antibodies. Furthermore, 386 dogs were tested for circulating D. immitis antigens. Overall feline seroprevalence was 15%, while canine prevalence was 2.1%. The highest feline seroprevalences of 18.7% and 17.6% were found in Aveiro and Viseu, respectively, while the highest canine prevalences of 8.8% and 6.8% were found in Coimbra and Aveiro, respectively. Cats and dogs showing respiratory signs presented higher prevalences of 24.4% and 17%, respectively, while 50% of cats with gastrointestinal signs were seropositive. The present study confirms the seropositivity of D. immitis in the feline population in central and northern Portugal, and suggests the importance of including heartworm disease in the list of differential diagnoses of cats and dogs showing clinical signs compatible with the disease.

Type
Short Communications
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 89 , Issue 5 , September 2015 , pp. 625 - 629
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AEMET (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología) (2011) Iberian climate atlas. 80 pp. Agencia Estatal de Metereología, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. Available athttp://www.aemet.es/documentos/es/conocermas/publicaciones/Atlas-climatologico/Atlas.pdf (accessed 12 December 2013).Google Scholar
Alho, A.M., Landum, M., Madeira de Carvalho, L., Meireles, J., Gonçalves, L. & Belo, S. (2012) Updating the epidemiological status of canine dirofilariosis in Portugal – preliminary results. p. 33in Grandi, G., Kramer, L. & Genchi, C. (Eds) Third European Dirofilaria Days, 21–22 June. Parma, Italy.Google Scholar
Araújo, A. (1996) Canine and human Dirofilaria immitis infections in Portugal A review. Parassitologia (Suppl.) 1–2, 366.Google Scholar
Atkins, C.E. & Litster, A.L. (2006) Heartworm disease. pp. 323–330in August, J.R. (Ed.) Consultations in feline internal medicine. 5th edn.Philadelphia, Elsevier.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cancrini, G., Magi, M., Gabrielli, S., Arispici, M., Tolari, F., Dell'Omodarme, M. & Prati, M.C. (2006) Natural vectors of dirofilariasis in rural and urban areas of the Tuscan region, central Italy. Journal of Medical Entomology 43, 574–579.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cardoso, L., Mendao, C. & Madeira de Carvalho, L. (2012) Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma spp. and Leishmania infantum in apparently healthy and CVBD-suspect dogs in Portugal – a national serological study. Parasites and Vectors 5, (62), 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunn, K.F., Levy, J.K., Colby, K.N. & Michaud, R.I. (2011) Diagnostic, treatment, and prevention protocols for feline heartworm infection in animal sheltering agencies. Veterinary Parasitology 176, 342–349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia-Guasch, L., Caro-Vadillo, A., Manubens-Grau, J., Carretón, E., Morchón, R., Simón, F. & Montoya-Alonso, J.A. (2012) Evaluation of pulmonary function variables by using plethysmography in cats with respiratory disease associated to Dirofilaria immitis. Veterinary Parasitology 187, 254–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Genchi, C., Rinaldi, L., Mortarino, M., Genchi, M. & Cringoli, G. (2009) Climate and dirofilaria infection in Europe. Veterinary Parasitology 163, 286–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lee, A.C. & Atkins, C.E. (2010) Understanding feline heartworm infection: disease, diagnosis, and treatment. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine 25, 224–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Litster, A.L. & Atwell, R.B. (2008) Feline heartworm disease: a clinical review. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 10, 137–144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lorentzen, L. & Caola, A.E. (2008) Incidence of positive heartworm antibody and antigen tests at IDEXX Laboratories: trends and potential impact on feline heartworm awareness and prevention. Veterinary Parasitology 158, 183–190.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCall, J.W., Genchi, C., Kramer, L.H., Guerrero, J. & Venco, L. (2008) Heartworm disease in animals and humans. Advances in Parasitology 66, 193–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McTier, T.L., Shanks, D.J., Watson, P., McCall, J.W., Genchi, C., Six, R.H., Thomas, C.A., Dickin, S.K., Pengo, G., Rowan, T.G. & Jernigan, A.D. (2000) Prevention of experimentally induced heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infections in dogs and cats with a single topical application of selamectin. Veterinary Parasitology 91, 259–268.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montoya-Alonso, J.A., Carretón, E., Corbera, J.A., Juste, M.C., Mellado, I., Morchón, R. & Simón, F. (2011) Current prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs, cats and humans from the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. Veterinary Parasitology 176, 291–294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morchón, R., Ferreira, A.C., Martin-Pacho, J.R., Montoya, A., Mortarino, M., Genchi, C. & Simón, F. (2004) Specific IgG antibody response against antigens of Dirofilaria immitis and its Wolbachia endosymbiont bacterium in cats with natural and experimental infections. Veterinary Parasitology 125, 313–321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morchón, R., Carretón, E., González-Miguel, J. & Mellado-Hernández, I. (2012) Heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immitis) and their vectors in Europe – new distribution trends. Frontiers in Physiology 3, 196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rendall-Rocha, C., Fonseca, I. & Cardoso, L. (2012) Dirofilaria immitis infection and dirofilariosis in dogs from Baixo Vouga (central Portugal). p. 80in Grandi, G., Kramer, L. & Genchi, C. (Eds) Third European Dirofilaria Days, 21–22 June. Parma, Italy.Google Scholar
Seixas, R., Alho, A.M., Guerra, D. & Madeira de Carvalho, L. (2011) Doenças caninas de transmissão vectorial: uma picada com muitas consequências! Veterinary Medicine 77, 23–46.Google Scholar
Simón, F., Siles-Lucas, M., Morchón, R., González-Miguel, J., Mellado, I., Carretón, E. & Montoya-Alonso, J.A. (2012) Human and animal dirofilariasis: the emergence of a zoonotic mosaic. Clinical Microbiology Reviews 25, 507–544.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snyder, P.S., Levy, J.K., Salute, M.E., Gorman, S.P., Kubilis, P.S., Smail, P.W. & George, L.L. (2000) Performance of serologic tests used to detect heartworm infection in cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 216, 693–700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed