Diagnosis of heartworm diseases trough detection of antibodies

Abstract

Climate change has a significant impact on human and animal health around the world, from the tropics to the temperate zones, confronting us with an increase in vector-borne diseases and the population of vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks. Among other things, Romania has registered a significant increase in the number of filariosis cases in recent years, with a continuous expansion in many regions of our country. Currently, Dirofilaria spp. infections are diagnosed using several laboratory methods, such as microscopy, serology and molecular biology methods. In the context of climate changes and the influence on vector-borne diseases, the aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of heartworm disease in dogs using comparative diagnostic methods. Thus, we also introduced a serological method of detecting antibodies using a test from veterinary medicine designed to identify antibodies specific to Dirofilaria infection in cats, the Anigen Rapid FeliCheck-3 test kit. An update on the prevalence of heartworm disease in dogs in the south-eastern part of Romania was followed. For the study, 45 samples collected both from dogs with an owner and from dogs from the public shelter were used, between April and May 2024. The samples were collected from 4 locations in Tulcea county: Niculitel, Beștepe, Sabangia and Tulcea. Of the samples used for the qualitative detection of antibodies against Dirofilaria immitis in dogs, 6 samples (13%) out of a total of 45 samples tested were positive, establishing a 13% prevalence of heartworm disease. This study underlines the importance of implementing heartworm surveillance and control programs in dogs in Romania, also using serological screening, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Anigen Rapid FeliCheck-3 test kit.