Factors associated with heartworm preventative use in the golden retriever lifetime study.

Introduction: Heartworm disease is preventable with use of heartworm preventatives, but the reported prevalence of heartworm preventative use in the United States is low, some estimates falling around 50% of dogs. However, there are very few estimates of prevalence and its associated factors.

Methods: We aimed to estimate prevalence and evaluate factors, including vaccination status, demographics, lifestyle, physical conditions, medications and supplements, and environment and living conditions, for their association with heartworm preventative use in a large dataset from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study ( = 2,998).

CANINE HEARTWORM INFECTION AND PROPHYLAXIS USE AMONG PET CARETAKERS FROM THE CUMBERLAND GAP REGION OF TENNESSEE, USA.

The prevalence of infection with canine heartworm (CHW), Dirofilaria immitis, continues to increase across the United States, regardless of the availability of effective and affordable prophylactic products. Current reports of CHW prevalence as estimated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) are thought to under-represent the true magnitude of the issue because pet dogs that do not receive regular veterinary care are often excluded. This study estimated the prevalence of CHW in pet dogs and associated prophylaxis use in pet dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region with a combined doorstep diagnostic testing approach and caretaker survey.

Serosurvey of arthropod-borne diseases among shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of the United States.

Background: The Cumberland Gap Region (CGR) of the United States is a natural corridor between the southeastern, northeastern, and midwestern regions of the country. CGR has also many species of ticks and mosquitos that serve as competent vectors for important animal and human pathogens. In this study, we tested dogs from six different animal shelters in the CGR for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, canine ehrlichiosis and canine heartworm disease.

BASELINE HEALTH AND NUTRITION EVALUATION OF TWO SYMPATRIC NOCTURNAL LEMUR SPECIES (AVAHI LANIGER AND LEPILEMUR MUSTELINUS) RESIDING NEAR AN ACTIVE MINE SITE AT AMBATOVY, MADAGASCAR.

Extractive industries can have significant impacts on ecosystems through loss of habitat, degradation of water quality, and direct impact on floral and faunal biodiversity. When operations are located in sensitive regions with high biodiversity containing endangered or threatened species, it is possible to minimize impact on the environment by developing programs to scientifically monitor the impact on resident flora and fauna species in the early phases of operation so that effects can be mitigated whenever possible. This report presents the baseline health, nutrition, and trace mineral evaluation for 33 Avahi laniger (Eastern wooly lemur) and 15 Lepilemur mustelinus (greater sportive lemur) captured and given complete health evaluations that included the measurement of fat-soluble vitamins and trace minerals in addition to routine complete blood counts, serum chemistries, and parasite evaluations.

A retrospective examination of paleoparasitology and its establishment in the Journal of Parasitology.

Volume 95 (2009) of the Journal of Parasitology represented a significant benchmark in the history of paleoparasitology when it received on the cover formal recognition as a topical area for publication. This retrospective examination chronicles the emergence of paleoparasitology, from its origins as an adjunct contribution to the study of prehistoric human populations to its modern expression as a sub-disciplinary interest. The aim of paleoparasitology is to elucidate the temporal and spatial dimensions of parasitism from the fossil record of human and non-human host populations.

Gastrointestinal parasites in relation to host traits and group factors in wild meerkats Suricata suricatta.

Meerkats are one of the most endearing of South African's wildlife celebrities and one of the most highly studied social mammals. However, although parasites are widely recognized as important regulatory factors in animal population, basic knowledge on meerkats' parasites is lacking. Here 100 fresh fecal samples of wild meerkats were examined for the presence of endoparasitic infection.

Liver function in rats acclimatized to a simulated altitude of 5500 m.

We examined the functional and morphological characteristics of the liver in rats acclimatized to a simulated altitude of 5500 m. We examined the metabolic activity and cytoplasmic distribution of liver mitochondria and the capacity of the liver to regenerate after partial hepatectomy. Mitochondrial respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, the respiratory control ratio (RCR), and the morphological characteristics of mitochondria in liver sections were studied after 3 months acclimatization to high altitude (HA).

Prevalence of endoparasitic infection in children and its relation with cholera prevention efforts in Mexico.

Objective: To investigate whether increased knowledge and use of public health measures promoted for cholera prevention is reflected in lower prevalence of parasitic infection in households in a community in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, that is close to the border with the United States of America.

Methods: Between 1994 and 1997, fecal samples from 438 children were collected through convenience sampling and then examined for helminth eggs/larvae and protozoan cysts as biologic indicators of household compliance with recommended cholera prevention measures. The suggested measures were to wash hands before meals and after defecation, to drink purified water, to wash fruits and vegetables, and to eat well-cooked food.

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in juvenile great grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus giganteus.

Serial IgG antibody titers to Toxoplasma gondii from three juvenile great grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus giganteus) with clinical signs consistent with toxoplasmosis were compared with titers from three clinically normal juveniles of similar age. The modified agglutination test was used to measure antibodies to T. gondii.

Increased prevalence of Brucella suis and pseudorabies virus antibodies in adults of an isolated feral swine population in coastal South Carolina.

Two hundred twenty seven adult (> 8 mo) feral swine (Sus scrofa) trapped from April through July 1999 at three locations on a coastal South Carolina (USA) peninsula with restricted ingress and egress were tested for Brucella suis and pseudorabies virus (PRV) antibodies. Approximately 44% of the animals tested positive for B. suis antibodies and 61% tested positive for antibodies to PRV.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Trichospirura leptostoma Infection in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Trichospirura leptostoma is a spirurid nematode that inhabits the pancreatic ducts of the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, and other New World primates. This parasite was diagnosed in members of this species at the Marmoset Research Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee colony after their importation from multiple colonies outside the United States. Animals with few parasites in the pancreas had few tissue changes, whereas those with many parasites had moderate to severe fibrosis replacing exocrine tissue.