Association of Wolbachia with heartworm disease in cats and dogs

Dingman, Patricia A.; Levy, Julie; Kramer, Laura; Johnson, Calvin M.; Lappin, Michael R.; Greiner, Ellis C.; Courtney, Charles H.; Tucker, Sylvia J; Morchón, Rodrigo

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2010.01.037

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…This results in a low prevalence of adult worms in cats (Nelson, 2008). However, a unique syndrome of broncho-interstitial inflammation and arteriolar hypertrophy can develop in the absence of adult worms, and these histologic changes frequently persist well beyond the presence of the parasite (Browne et al, 2005;Dingman et al, 2010). This suggests that even transient heartworm infection can leave cats with long-lasting pulmonary pathology, a syndrome that has been named heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic, treatment, and prevention protocols for feline heartworm infection in animal sheltering agencies

Dunn¹,

Levy²,

Colby³

et al. 2011

Veterinary Parasitology

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Cats are at risk for heartworm infection (Dirofilaria immitis) wherever the disease is endemic in dogs. Diagnosis is more difficult in cats, and little information is available regarding effective palliative and curative treatments for infected cats. In contrast to the challenges of diagnosis and treatment, chemoprophylaxis is highly effective, and current guidelines call for preventive medications to be administered to all cats in endemic areas. The purpose of this study was to survey feline heartworm management protocols used by 400 animal shelters and foster programs in the endemic states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi. Only 23% of shelters performed feline heartworm testing. The most common reasons for not testing were expense (36%), lack of treatment options for infected cats (18%), and because the agency considers heartworm infections in cats to be less important than in dogs (12%). Most agencies (69%) did not provide preventive medication to cats. Reasons included because testing was not performed (36%), expense (35%), and the perception that local heartworm risk was low (10%). When preventive was provided, feline-labeled broad-spectrum products were used more commonly (81%) than livestock products (14%). The survey also indicated that many policy decisions were based on inaccurate knowledge of feline heartworm prevalence and pathogenesis. Issues of cost, feasibility, and education prevent most Southeastern sheltering agencies from adequately protecting cats against heartworm disease. Practical guidelines tailored to the needs of these agencies should be developed. Subsidized testing and preventive products may facilitate implementation of feline heartworm management protocols in sheltering agencies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diagnostic, treatment, and prevention protocols for feline heartworm infection in animal sheltering agencies

Dunn¹,

Levy²,

Colby³

et al. 2011

Veterinary Parasitology

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“…Θεωρείται ότι η θανάτωση του μικροοργανισμού μειώνει σημαντικά τη φλεγμονώδη αντίδραση του ξενιστή κατά το θάνατο των παρασίτων , Dingman et al 2010. Σε μελέτη των Bandi et al (1999), η εξουδετέρωση του βακτηρίου W. pipientis, μετά από τη χορήγηση τετρακυκλινών, φάνηκε ότι αναστέλλει την εμβρυογένεση της D. immitis.…”

Section: επικουρικη αγωγη χορήγηση τετρακυκλινώνunclassified

Τreatment and prevention of canine heartworm disease (dirofilariosis): what is new?

Sinanis

Koutinas

2017

J Hellenic Vet Med Soc

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Canine heartworm disease (dirofilariosis) is a frequent parasitic disease in Greece and other para-Mediterranean countries. Immediate adulticide therapy, followed by administration of microfilaricidals, has been the mainstay of heartworm treatment. However, a more recent approach has included the requirement to killing microfilariae and Wolbachia pipientis prior to adulticide treatment. Administration of prophylactic doses of milbemycin, moxidectin, ivermectin or selamectin for 2 to 3 months, as well as of doxycycline (10 mg kg-1 bw, per os, twice daily) for a month, seems to negate the ‘susceptibility gap’ and to decrease the possibility of pulmonary thromboembolism. Moreover, an alternative protocol of adulticide therapy (2.5 mg kg-1 bw of melarsomine, intramuscularly, followed by two further injections, 24-hours apart, a month later) is considered superior to the classical one, regardless of the clinical stage of the disease.Treatment of potential complications (right heart failure or vena cava syndrome) includes administration of heart failure medication and surgical removal of adult worms. Strict exercise restriction seems to play the most important role in reducing the possibility of pulmonary thromboembolism. Alternative protocol melarsomine administration, after treatment with macrocyclic lactones and doxycycline, increases the therapeutic effect and improves prognosis in earlier stages of the disease. Continuous (or at least during the warm period of the year) preventive administration of microfilaricidals coupled with annual serological testing of animals is important for effective disease control.

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“…Typically, respiratory signs characterize the HARD syndromes. Even though arteritis and thromboembolic disease secondary to the presence of adult D. immitis in the pulmonary arteries could explain a few of the manifestations of feline filarial disease at postmortem examination, it was nevertheless demonstrated that severe pulmonary lesions occur in the absence of adult worms (5,8). Macrophages containing Wolbachia have been found in the lungs, kidneys, and liver, of dogs infected with D. immitis (18).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lung lesions are typically characterized by both parenchymal and vascular inflammation evolving into arteriolar occlusive hypertrophy. Typically, the WSP antigen was demonstrated in lung lesions (8,17,18). The WSP antigen of Wolbachia elicits a strong inflammatory response itself in the host, so a pivotal role in the HARD syndromes was hypothesized (24).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, their diagnostic suitability is limited. Conversely, PCRs targeting Wolbachia were developed for detecting the bacteria either in tissues, nematodes (8,20,25,32), or the blood of filaria-infected dogs (30). However, the studies reporting Wolbachia PCRs were not aimed at establishing diagnostic reliability but rather served as an insight into filarial pathogenesis.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Detection of Wolbachia DNA in Blood for Diagnosing Filaria-Associated Syndromes in Cats

et al. 2012

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A fundamental role for the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis in the pathogenesis of Dirofilaria immitis infections has emerged in recent years. Diagnostic opportunities arising from this breakthrough have not yet been fully exploited. This study was aimed at developing conventional and real-time PCR assays to carry out a molecular survey in a convenience sample of cats living in an area where D. immitis is endemic and to evaluate the detection of bacterial DNA in blood as a surrogate assay for diagnosing filaria-associated syndromes in cats. COI and FtsZ loci were used as targets for D. immitis and Wolbachia PCR assays, respectively, and real-time TaqMan PCR assays were used only for Wolbachia. A convenience sample of 307 disease-affected or healthy cats examined at a University facility were PCR tested, and their medical records were investigated. Conventional nested PCR for Wolbachia amplified the endosymbionts of both D. immitis and D. repens, while real-time PCR was highly specific only for the former. Observed prevalences of 0.3 and 10.4% were found using conventional nested PCR assays for D. immitis and real-time PCR for Wolbachia, respectively. Similar prevalences were established using the Wolbachia nested PCR (98% concordance with real-time PCR). The group of Wolbachia-positive samples had a significantly higher proportion of subjects with respiratory signs (29.0% versus 9.7%; P ‫؍‬ 0.002). The findings of this study indicate that a highly sensitive PCR assay can be used to detect the Wolbachia organism in the peripheral blood of cats with respiratory signs.

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Association of Wolbachia with heartworm disease in cats and dogs

Cited by 22 publications

References 27 publications

Diagnostic, treatment, and prevention protocols for feline heartworm infection in animal sheltering agencies

Diagnostic, treatment, and prevention protocols for feline heartworm infection in animal sheltering agencies

Τreatment and prevention of canine heartworm disease (dirofilariosis): what is new?

Detection of Wolbachia DNA in Blood for Diagnosing Filaria-Associated Syndromes in Cats

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