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Evaluation of Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Heartworm Infection for Dogs in Rio de Janeiro with Access to Veterinary Care.
Guedes, Mariana; Gomes, Tamiris; Alberigi, Bruno; Prudente, Emilene; Bendas, Alexandre; Souza, Thalita; Mendes-de-Almeida, Flavya; Knackfuss, Fabiana Batalha; Merlo, Alexandre; Labarthe, Norma.
Affiliation
  • Guedes M; Zoetis Indústria de Produtos Veterinários Ltda, Rua Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 1240, 4º andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP: 04711-130. mariana.guedes@zoetis.com.
  • Gomes T; Zoetis Indústria de Produtos Veterinários Ltda, Rua Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 1240, 4º andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP: 04711-130.
  • Alberigi B; Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Rodovia BR 465, Km 07, Zona Rural, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, CEP: 23890-000.
  • Prudente E; Zoetis Indústria de Produtos Veterinários Ltda, Rua Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 1240, 4º andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP: 04711-130.
  • Bendas A; Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Rodovia BR 465, Km 07, Zona Rural, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil, CEP: 23890-000.
  • Souza T; Zoetis Indústria de Produtos Veterinários Ltda, Rua Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 1240, 4º andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP: 04711-130.
  • Mendes-de-Almeida F; Universidade Federal Fluminense, Avenida Ary Parreiras, 507, Icaraí, Niterói, RJ, Brazil, CEP: 24220-000.
  • Knackfuss FB; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz., Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 - Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, CEP: 21041-210.
  • Merlo A; Zoetis Indústria de Produtos Veterinários Ltda, Rua Dr. Chucri Zaidan, 1240, 4º andar, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP: 04711-130.
  • Labarthe N; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz., Rua Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 - Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, CEP: 21041-210.
Acta Parasitol ; 69(3): 1364-1371, 2024 Sep.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38955908
ABSTRACT
Heartworm infection is a chronic disease with clinical signs and effects ranging from an asymptomatic condition to severe disease and death. The prevalence of heartworm disease in the state of Rio de Janeiro has been reported to be high (21.3%). The present study was conducted to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors of heartworm infection for the canine population with access to veterinary services in different areas of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 1787 canine blood samples were obtained from 135 practices across 8 different areas of Rio de Janeiro state (Rio de Janeiro municipality, São Gonçalo municipality, Niterói municipality, Baixada Fluminense, and the northern, southern, eastern, and mountainous areas) and tested for the presence of Dirofilaria immitis antigens and antibodies against several tick-borne disease pathogens using a commercial immunochromatography technique (Vetscan® Flex 4 Rapid Test; Zoetis; NJ USA). Pet owners reported living conditions, physical characteristics, demographics, and clinical signs for evaluation of risk factors for heartworm infection. Only two evaluated risk factors were shown to enhance the risk for D. immitis infection, including having a short hair coat vs. having a medium or long hair coat (OR 2.62) or positive for antibodies to tick-borne disease parasites (OR 3.83). Clinical signs reported for dogs with heartworm disease were typical for that condition. The overall prevalence of heartworm disease in the state was 8.2%, ranging from 2.4% in the mountainous region to 29.4% in the eastern area. It could not be determined if veterinarians were not diligent about dispensing heartworm preventatives or if poor levels of compliance by dog owners were responsible for higher infection rates in some areas of the state.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Dirofilaria immitis / Dirofilariasis / Dog Diseases Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: America do sul / Brasil Language: En Journal: Acta Parasitol Year: 2024 Document type: Article Country of publication:

Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Dirofilaria immitis / Dirofilariasis / Dog Diseases Limits: Animals Country/Region as subject: America do sul / Brasil Language: En Journal: Acta Parasitol Year: 2024 Document type: Article Country of publication: