Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in Fresno and Madera Counties, California: Prevalence differences between foothill and valley habitats

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of heartworm in domestic dogs in Madera and Fresno Counties, California, dependent on habitat and other host and environmental factors. Dogs were screened for presence of heartworm antigen using the PetChek® ELISA on blood samples (N=519) collected...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary parasitology 2011-01, Vol.175 (1-2), p.84-91
Main Authors: Miller, Laura L., Crosbie, Paul R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Altitude
Animals
California - epidemiology
Central California
Demography
Dirofilaria immitis
dirofilariasis
Dirofilariasis - epidemiology
disease prevalence
dog diseases
Dog Diseases - epidemiology
Dogs
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)
Ecosystem
Elevation
ELISA
environmental factors
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Female
foothills
geographical variation
habitats
Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis)
Male
Prevalence
valleys
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of heartworm in domestic dogs in Madera and Fresno Counties, California, dependent on habitat and other host and environmental factors. Dogs were screened for presence of heartworm antigen using the PetChek® ELISA on blood samples (N=519) collected at seven sites during April-July 2009. Eighteen dogs were heartworm antigen positive. Pearson Chi-square analyses were conducted testing the presence of heartworm antigen against the following independent variables: elevation range, percentage of time spent outdoors during the day, percentage of time spent outdoors during the night, pet coat length, weight class, prevention status, and sex. Dogs that spent at least 50% of their time outdoors during the day were significantly more likely to have heartworm that those who spent less time outside (N=519, df=1, p=0.031). Overall prevalence (3.47%) was lower than expected, with Madera County having 3.8% positive samples and Fresno County 3.5%; this prevalence is lower than in many previous studies. The effect of time spent outdoors on heartworm prevalence was similar to previous studies. The impact of elevation on infection, though not significant, requires further investigation, as does the prevalence and viability of larval stages in mosquitoes.
ISSN:0304-4017
1873-2550
DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.10.008