Serosurvey of Canine Dirofilariasis in a Population of Southern Guatemala

Abstract

Introduction: Canine dirofilariasis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the parasitic filarial nematode named Dirofilaria immitis. Cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis is a worldwide distributed disease affecting domestic and wild canines as well as felines, causing pulmonary or cutaneous infections in humans. In recent years, scientists have reported the importance of investigating human cases of dirofilariasis since it can be easily confused with lung disease. Guatemala has a high-density of the canine population. Few studies have reported a high prevalence of canine dirofilariasis; nevertheless, knowledge in Guatemala of Dirofilaria immitis is scarce and practically inexistent. Given this, the current study aimed to explore the circulation of antibodies against D. immitis in dogs in the southern part of Guatemala.
 Materials and methods: Data were recollected from 110 male and female dogs aged more than a year from various breeds in the village “El Brito”, Escuintla, Guatemala. One milliliter of blood was collected from each dog. The samples were analyzed using ELISA test to examine the presence of antibodies in adult worms.
 Results: The prevalence determined for antibodies against Dirofilaria immitis of sampled canines was 2.7%, and the most frequent age of the canines was 1-3 years old (85%).
 Conclusions: According to the obtained data, the prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in a southern region of Guatemala was low.