Parasitological, serological and molecular diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Northeastern Brazil

Soares, Laynaslan Abreu; Matias, Isabela Calixto; Silva, Samara S.; Ramos, Maria Estrela Oliveira; Silva, Aline P; Barretto, M.L.M.; Brasil, Arthur Willian de Lima; Silva, Maria Luana C. R.; Galiza, Glauco José Nogueira de; Maia, Lisanka Ângelo

doi:10.1016/j.exppara.2022.108233

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

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“…Heartworm disease (HWD) is caused by the infection of the nematode Dirofilaria immitis, transmitted by several mosquito vectors from the genera Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex [1,2]. The microfilaria present in the blood is ingested by the mosquito vector during blood feeding, migrating to the Malpighian tubules to develop into an infective L3 larva [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat Treatment Augments Antigen Detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Apparently Healthy Companion Dogs (3.8% to 7.3%): Insights from a Large-Scale Nationwide Survey across the United States

Barrantes Murillo,

Moye,

Wang

2024

Pathogens

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Background: Heartworm disease (HWD) is a vector-borne disease caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis. Low antigen levels caused by immune complex formation preclude HWD diagnosis. Heat treatment is an immune complex dissociation technique used to enhance antigen detection. Only a few studies have reported the benefits of heat treatment in nationwide surveys. Methods: To investigate the impact of heat treatment on the seroprevalence of HWD in companion dogs in the USA, serum samples (n = 3253) were analyzed for D. immitis antigen (DiroCHEK®, Zoetis) without and with heat treatment of the samples. Results: Compared to sera without heat treatment, heat treatment significantly increased overall prevalence from 3.8% (123/3253) to 7.3% (237/3253) (p < 10−4), expanding antigen detection from 32 to 39 of the 48 states and Washington District of Columbia included in this study. Conclusions: This study represents the largest nationwide survey of HW antigen detection in dogs in the US applying heat treatment to canine sera. The heat treatment used herein has the advantage of requiring a low volume of serum, making it optimal for use in routine diagnosis. Heat treatment should be used routinely by reference laboratories and veterinary clinics in patients with a negative initial test.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heat Treatment Augments Antigen Detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Apparently Healthy Companion Dogs (3.8% to 7.3%): Insights from a Large-Scale Nationwide Survey across the United States

Barrantes Murillo,

Moye,

Wang

2024

Pathogens

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Relative diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests to rule-in Dirofilaria immitis infection in clinically suspect dogs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Atkinson

O’Handley

Nielsen

et al. 2023

Preventive Veterinary Medicine

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Evaluation of diagnostic techniques for early detection of heartworm in experimentally infected dogs: identification of Dirofilaria immitis-derived microRNA in the initial 28 weeks post-inoculation

Murillo,

Campbell,

Moorhead

et al. 2024

Parasites Vectors

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Background Dirofilaria immitis, commonly known as heartworm (HW), is a parasitic nematode transmitted by various mosquito species, leading to heartworm disease (HWD) in dogs. Diagnosis of HW typically involves antigen or microfilariae detection, or visualization of adult worms through imaging or post mortem examination. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and micro RNA (miRNA) detection have been explored for HW diagnosis. Methods Three dogs, previously experimentally infected with HW, underwent blood sampling every 4 weeks for 7 months. Samples were assessed for antigen presence after heat treatment, PCR amplification, and microfilaria examination using Giemsa-stained thick smears. Additionally, whole blood aliquots underwent miRNA deep sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Results Heartworm antigen was detectable after heat treatment at 20 weeks post-inoculation and via PCR at 24 weeks, with microfilariae observed in peripheral blood smears at 28 weeks. However, deep miRNA sequencing revealed that the miRNA candidate sequences are not consistently expressed before 28 weeks of infection. Conclusions While ancillary molecular methods such as PCR and miRNA sequencing may be less effective than antigen detection for detecting immature larval stages in an early stage of infection, our experimental findings demonstrate that circulating miRNAs can still be detected in 28 weeks post-infection. Graphical Abstract

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Parasitological, serological and molecular diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Northeastern Brazil

Cited by 6 publications

References 23 publications

Heat Treatment Augments Antigen Detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Apparently Healthy Companion Dogs (3.8% to 7.3%): Insights from a Large-Scale Nationwide Survey across the United States

Heat Treatment Augments Antigen Detection of Dirofilaria immitis in Apparently Healthy Companion Dogs (3.8% to 7.3%): Insights from a Large-Scale Nationwide Survey across the United States

Relative diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests to rule-in Dirofilaria immitis infection in clinically suspect dogs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Evaluation of diagnostic techniques for early detection of heartworm in experimentally infected dogs: identification of Dirofilaria immitis-derived microRNA in the initial 28 weeks post-inoculation

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