OCCURRENCE OF FILARID PARASITES IN HOUSEHOLD AND SHELTERED DOGS IN THE CITY OF JOINVILLE – SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL

Authors

Abstract

Parasites from the Filariidae family are among the nematodes that can infest dogs. Some may be apathogenic, such as Acanthocheilonema reconditum, and others such as Dirofilaria immitis are potentially zoonotic and may lead dogs to death. Thus, the aim of this study was to perform a survey on filarid infection in dogs with a fixed domicile and wandering dogs temporarily sheltered in the city of Joinville, SC, Brazil. Blood samples from 429 animals were collected from 2015 to 2017 and submitted to screening for microfilariae and/or D. immitis antigens. Our results revealed that twenty-four samples (5.6%) displayed A. reconditum microfilariae and three samples (0.7%) were positive for D. immitis, totaling 27 (6.3%) positive animals for filarid parasites. Additionally, A. reconditum was more prevalent in dogs from shelters, whereas the three D. immitis positive samples were from household dogs that displayed no clinical signs of the presence of parasites. The occurrence of these parasites in dogs from Joinville indicates the importance of differential diagnosis of microfilaria species for the correct clinical management of infected dogs. Our epidemiological information may help the medical and veterinary community of the region regarding clinical suspicion of canine and human heartworm disease, as well as guide preventive actions targeting public and animal health.
Keywords: Acanthocheilonema reconditum, Dirofilaria immitis, microfilariae, zoonosis.

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Author Biographies

Anna Karina Kannenberg, Instituto Federal Catarinense, campus Araquari

Discente do curso de Medicina Veterinária

Luca Frondana, instituto Federal Catarinense

médico veterinário - egresso do Curso de Medicina Veterinária

Igor Henrique Rodrigues Martins, Instituto Federal Catarinense

Discente Curso de Medicina Veterinária

Charlene Edianez Longhi, Instituto Federal Catarinense

Egressa do Curso de Medicina Veterinária - Campus Araquari

Michele Müller Fialkowski, Laboratório Badanievet

Responsável técnica e proprietária do Badanievet - Serviços em Patologia Clínica Veterinária

Viviane Milczewski, Instituto Federal Catarinense

Docente Instituto Federal Catarinense - Curso de Medicina Veterinária - Campus Araquari

Published

2019-10-24

How to Cite

KANNENBERG, A. K.; FRONDANA, L.; MARTINS, I. H. R.; LONGHI, C. E.; FIALKOWSKI, M. M.; MILCZEWSKI, V. OCCURRENCE OF FILARID PARASITES IN HOUSEHOLD AND SHELTERED DOGS IN THE CITY OF JOINVILLE – SANTA CATARINA, BRAZIL. Brazilian Animal Science/ Ciência Animal Brasileira, Goiânia, v. 20, p. 1–11, 2019. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/vet/article/view/53529. Acesso em: 17 jul. 2024.

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Section

MEDICINA VETERINÁRIA