| Autor: |
Jurić, B., Beck, Relja, Martinković Franjo, Milosavljević, A., Pahović, S., Matić A., Marinculić, Albert |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2007 |
| Předmět: |
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| Popis: |
The peninsula of Istria is one of two areas where the presence of Dirofilaria immitis is unequivocally confirmed in Croatia. The first report of canine heartworm infection in Istria was described in 1995. The parasites were found in a truffle dog that succumb due to a heart failure. Following this observation, aknowledged veterinary practitioners reported numerous clinical cases mostly from the region of Motovun, the small picturesque medieval town in the Central Istria well known for the tradition of truffle hunting by dogs. The aim of this study was to define the prevalence of microfilariae of Dirofilaria immitis but also Dirofilaria repens in dogs from the same area. Materials Blood samples were drawn from 143 dogs during December 2006. All screened dogs were from the region of Motovun near the river Mirna. Only dogs older than six years were selected. Most dogs were of mixed breed. The survey was especially focussed on truffle dogs, animals trained to hunt the truffles hidden beneath the ground. Instead of the big value, these special dogs live in miserable conditions constantly exposed to mosquitoes which are abundant due to perfect breeding conditions. All dogs were not prophylactically treated. Methods Blood samples were tested by a modified Knott’ s technique to evaluate the microfilaraemia and, by a commercial rapid kit to detect adult antigens of D. immitis. The distinction between different species was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results Among 143 dogs, 8 were positive for D. immitis with a prevalence of 5, 5% and 15 were positive for Dirofilaria repens with a prevalence of 10, 4%. No discrepancy were found between microfilariae results and PCR results. Conclusion Our results showed that the heartworm infection is quite common in truffle dogs constantly exposed to mosquitoes. The same was found for D. repens too. The prevalence of Dirofilaria infections in dogs stress the importance of improving the public awareness of this disease, especially among the dog owners. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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