Serodiagnostic difficulties and possibilities of heartworm disease in regions where both Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens infections occur

Author:

Becker Zsolt1ORCID,Holló Noémi1,Farkas Róbert2,Gyurkovszky Mónika2,Reiczigel Jenő3,Olaszy Krisztián4,Vári Zoltán5,Vörös Károly1

Affiliation:

1. Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary

2. Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary

3. Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary

4. Rákosliget Small Animal Ambulatory Clinic, XX. u. 2, H-1172 Budapest, Hungary

5. Budatétény Animal Hospital, Rákóczi Ferenc u. 37, H-1223 Budapest, Hungary

Abstract

Abstract This retrospective study was performed on 71 dogs which had been admitted for heartworm screening or with clinical suspicion of heartworm disease. The examination methods included polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to identify Dirofilaria immitis and/or Dirofilaria repens infections and a heartworm antigen (Ag) test (VetScan). By using PCR, 26 dogs were found positive only for Dirofilaria immitis (Group 1), while 21 dogs for both D. immitis and D. repens (Group 2). Group 3 included 24 dogs with D. repens infection only according to the PCR results. The sensitivity of the VetScan Ag test for the Group 1 and 2 animals proved to be 97.7% (95% Blaker confidence interval; CI 89.0%–99.9%). The specificity of the VetScan Ag test, calculated from the results of Group 3, was found to be 66.7% (95% CI 45.6%–83.1%), which was lower than that reported from the USA, where D. repens does not occur. In cases when PCR results were positive for D. repens but negative for D. immitis, the occult dirofilariosis was the likely explanation for the positive D. immitis Ag tests. These observations highlight the importance of performing more Ag tests simultaneously in those areas where both Dirofilaria species are present.

Funder

University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Hungary

Publisher

Akademiai Kiado Zrt.

Subject

General Veterinary

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