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Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from Hatay province, Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2009

M. Yaman ,
M. Guzel ,
I.S. Koltas ,
M. Demirkazik  and
H. Aktas
M. Yaman
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mustafa Kemal, 31040Hatay, Turkey
M. Guzel*
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Mustafa Kemal, 31040Hatay, Turkey
I.S. Koltas
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, 01330Adana, Turkey
M. Demirkazik
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, 01330Adana, Turkey
H. Aktas
Affiliation:
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cukurova, 01330Adana, Turkey
*
*Fax: +90 3262455704 E-mail: muratguzel05@gmail.com
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Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of canine dirofilariosis in Hatay province, south of Turkey. A total of 269 blood samples were collected from owned dogs in this multi-centre survey between March and July 2006. Blood samples were examined by modified Knott and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques to detect circulating microfilariae and antigens of Dirofilaria immitis, respectively. Seventy out of 269 dogs (26.0%) were positive for D. immitis. However, 61.4% of positive dogs had occult infection. The prevalence of canine dirofilariosis was heterogeneous in Hatay province, with higher values in shoreline (33.0%) and riverside (30.9%) areas followed by the lowland (25.5%) or mountainous (15.2%) areas. No statistically significant differences were observed in relation to sex (females, 33.3%; males, 24.4%, P>0.05). When evaluating the prevalence of D. immitis by age, the highest prevalence was observed in dogs older than 4 years of age. Large breeds (29.6%) and the dogs living outdoors (30.2%) showed a higher prevalence in comparison to small breeds (21.4%) and the dogs living indoors (10.5%), respectively. In conclusion, according to the results of this study canine dirofilariosis had a high prevalence in Hatay province. Therefore, prophylaxis against heartworm is advisable to decrease the incidence of canine dirofilariosis.

Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Helminthology , Volume 83 , Issue 3 , September 2009 , pp. 255 - 260
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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