Efficacy of Sustained-Release Formulation of Moxidectin (Guardian SR) in Preventing Heartworm Infection over 18 Months in Dogs Living in a Hyperendemic Area.

This study investigates the efficacy of a sustained-release (SR) moxidectin microsphere formulation in preventing canine heartworm infection over 18 months in Canary Hound dogs, a hunting breed common in the Canary Islands, which is a hyperendemic region. These dogs typically do not receive preventive treatments and act as reservoirs for the disease. This field study was conducted across 11 hunting kennels with 109 dogs living outdoors, none of whom were receiving heartworm prophylaxis, with prevalence ranging from 11.

Radiological Evaluation of Vascular Structures in Cats Infected with Immature Worms of .

This study aimed to assess thoracic radiographic abnormalities in cats infected with immature stages of to evaluate the utility of this diagnostic technique during early infection. A total of 123 cats from a hyperendemic area were classified into three groups: asymptomatic cats seronegative to anti- antibodies (Group A), seropositive asymptomatic cats (Group B), and seropositive cats with clinical signs that were at high risk of heartworm-associated respiratory disease (HARD) (Group C). Radiographic measurements and lung parenchymal abnormalities were analyzed and compared across the groups.

Assessment of Thoracic Radiographic Alterations in Dogs with Heartworm and Their Correlation with Pulmonary Hypertension, Pre- and Post-Adulticide Treatment.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a prevalent and severe complication in dogs infected with . This study aimed to elucidate the progression of PH by analyzing radiographic parameters and the Right Pulmonary Artery Distensibility (RPAD) Index at three key time points: diagnosis (day 0), discharge (day 90), and six months post-discharge (day 270). Fifty-two heartworm-infected dogs were divided into two groups: non-hypertensive and hypertensive.

Successful Transvenous Extraction of Adult Parasites from a Naturally Infected Domestic Ferret ().

Heartworm disease caused by is a serious and underdiagnosed cardiovascular condition in domestic ferrets. Hemodynamic changes caused by parasitization in ferrets cause a potentially fatal syndrome, but its clinical findings and treatment have not yet been standardized. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical case of a successful surgical extraction in a ferret infected by .

Change in the Distribution Pattern of in Gran Canaria (Hyperendemic Island) between 1994 and 2020.

Dirofilariosis is a zoonotic disease that mainly affects dogs and cats, with a high risk to public health. The island of Gran Canaria (Spain) has been shown to be a hyperendemic area of infection and, therefore, a model for studying the evolution of the disease. The objective of this study was to track the prevalence and distribution of heartworm in dogs, cats, and residents of Gran Canaria from 1994 to 2020, using published and unpublished data.

Association between Thoracic Radiographic Changes and Indicators of Pulmonary Hypertension in Dogs with Heartworm Disease.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a consequence of pulmonary endarteritis during infection with in dogs. Echocardiography is the technique of choice but is not always accessible to all clinicians. This study aimed to evaluate the association of the radiological findings in dogs with heartworm disease and the presence or absence of echocardiographically characterised PH.

Current State of Canine in Portugal.

The favourable geo-climatic conditions in Portugal have made it highly conducive to the development of in dogs, leading to its identification as an endemic region. This nematode is rapidly spreading across Europe, particularly in northeastern countries. The objective of this study was to provide an updated assessment of the prevalence of this disease in Portuguese dogs, analysing the results in relation to epidemiological and geo-environmental factors, and to identify potential risk factors.

Machine Learning Techniques for Canine Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease Classification: Integrating Anamnesis, Quality of Life Survey, and Physical Examination.

Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is a prevalent canine cardiac disease typically diagnosed and classified using echocardiography. However, accessibility to this technique can be limited in first-opinion clinics. This study aimed to determine if machine learning techniques can classify MMVD according to the ACVIM classification (B1, B2, C, and D) through a structured anamnesis, quality of life survey, and physical examination.

Right Ventricle Strain Assessed by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (2D-STE) to Evaluate Pulmonary Hypertension in Dogs with .

Echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle is helpful for analysing the pathophysiology of heartworm disease and detecting pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs. In veterinary cardiology, the study of myocardial deformation using two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-STE) echocardiography has become increasingly acknowledged as useful for quantifying right ventricular function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of myocardial deformation strain of the right ventricular free wall (FWS), global deformation strain of the right ventricle, including the interventricular septum (GS), and tissue motion annular displacement of the tricuspid valve (TMAD) in a cohort of dogs with heartworm () disease and to determine cut-off values for detecting the presence of PH.

Radiographic Left Atrial Size Measurement of Dogs in Different Mitral Valve Disease Stages with Four Different Methods.

The left atrial size increases (LAS) in patients with mitral valve disease (MVD) as the disease progresses. The vertebral left atrial size (VLAS), the modified-vertebral left atrial size (M-VLAS), and the radiographic left atrial dimension (RLAD) are methods reported to assess LAS on dogs' radiographs. All these methods transform the LAS into vertebral units.

Usefulness of Tissue Doppler Imaging for the Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension in Canine Heartworm Disease.

Background: is a nematode that produces proliferative pulmonary endarteritis in dogs due to direct contact of the adult parasites with the intima layer of the pulmonary arteries, leading to irreversible severe structural damage and sustained pulmonary hypertension (PH), which can produce severe cardiorespiratory disorders. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the echocardiography tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in determining the presence of PH in dogs with heartworm disease.

Methods: There were 116 heartworm-infected dogs with PH and 33 healthy dogs included in the study.

Assessment Heartworm Disease in the Canary Islands (Spain): Risk of Transmission in a Hyperendemic Area by Ecological Niche Modeling and Its Future Projection.

Heartworm disease is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by . The Canary Islands (Spain), geolocated close to the coast of Western Sahara, is an archipelago considered hyperendemic where the average prevalence in domestic dogs is high, heterogeneous, and non-uniform. In addition, has been reported as a vector of the disease on two of the most populated islands.

The Thoracic Inlet Length as a Reference Point to Radiographically Assess Cardiac Enlargement in Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease.

The diagnostic value of the vertebral heart size (VHS) in dogs with mitral valve degeneration (MVD) is compromised when middle thoracic vertebral anomalies are present. The objective of this study was to assess the use of the thoracic inlet heart score (TIHS) to identify left heart enlargement (LHE) secondary to MVD. The cardiac silhouette of 50 clinically healthy dogs and 106 MVD dogs in different stages was assessed on a right lateral chest radiograph.

Usefulness of NT-proBNP in dogs with heartworm: could this biomarker be useful to evaluate pulmonary hypertension?

Background: In recent years, the usefulness of echocardiography and serum biomarkers in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs with heartworm disease has been studied. Previously, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has shown high concentrations in dogs with heart disease and/or PH as well as its usefulness as a prognostic indicator, but it has never been evaluated in the diagnosis and prognosis of PH in dogs with heartworm disease. The aim was to evaluate the serum concentrations of NT-proBNP in dogs infected by Dirofilaria immitis to determine its usefulness as a tool to detect precapillary PH.

Feline heartworm disease and environmental allergens hypersensitivity: is there a link?

Background: Cats can be infected by Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent of heartworm disease, characterized by respiratory signs, airway hyperreactivity, remodelling and inflammation. Allergy is a multifactorial pathology, and the role of a number of helminth parasites in the development of allergies in humans and other species has been demonstrated in many studies. The aim of the present study was to verify whether cats seropositive for D.

Involvement of the excretory/secretory and surface-associated antigens of Dirofilaria immitis adult worms in the angiogenic response in an in-vitro endothelial cell model.

Angiogenesis is a process by which new vessels are formed from pre-existing ones when the physiological conditions of the vascular endothelium are altered. Heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis, causes changes in the vascular endothelium of the pulmonary arteries due to obstruction, friction, and hypoxia. The aim of this study was to analyze whether the excretory/secretory and surface-associated antigens of adult worms interact and modulates the angiogenic mechanism, viable cell number and cell migration, as well as the formation of pseudo-capillaries.

Echocardiographic Assessment of the Pulmonary Vein to Pulmonary Artery Ratio in Canine Heartworm Disease.

Unlabelled: produces proliferative pulmonary endarteritis and pulmonary thromboembolism in infected dogs. The pulmonary vascular lesions lead to irreversible and persistent structural damage and, as a consequence, sustained precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of the pulmonary vein to pulmonary artery ratio (PV:PA ratio) to determine moderate or severe PH (>50 mmHg) in dogs with heartworm disease.

The Thoracic Inlet Heart Size, a New Approach to Radiographic Cardiac Measurement.

In 1995, the Vertebral Heart Size (VHS) method for measuring the cardiac silhouette on thoracic radiographs was published, becoming a quantifiable and objective reference way of assessing the heart size. Since then, many studies have showed that VHS is influenced by breed variations, vertebral malformations, reference points selection, and short and long axes dimensions conversion into vertebral units. The Thoracic Inlet Heart Size (TIHS) normalizes heart size to body size using the thoracic inlet length.

What Has Happened to Heartworm Disease in Europe in the Last 10 Years?

Heartworm disease caused by is a vector-borne disease that affects canids and felids, both domestic and wild, throughout the world. It is a chronic disease which causes vascular damage in pulmonary arteries, and in advanced stages, the presence of pulmonary hypertension and right-sided congestive heart failure can be evidenced. Moreover, pulmonary thromboembolism is caused by the death of the worms, which can be lethal for the infected animal.

Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension in Dogs with Heartworm Disease Using the Computed Tomographic Pulmonary Trunk to Aorta Diameter Ratio.

Dirofilaria immitis causes proliferative pulmonary endoarteritis that leads to the appearance of chronic precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs. Pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio (PT:Ao ratio) obtained by computed tomography (CT) was studied and the quantitative measure of the diameters of the pulmonary trunk (PT), the descending thoracic aorta (DAo) and ascending thoracic aorta (AAo) were evaluated for the determination of the presence of moderate to severe PH in 59 dogs. The diagnosis of PH was echocardiographically determined, based on the determination of the right pulmonary artery distensibility (RPAD) index (<29.

Comprehensive Map of Canine Angiostrongylosis in Dogs in Spain.

Canine angiostrongylosis is an emerging disease caused by , mainly affecting wild carnivores and dogs. In Spain, there are studies reporting infections in foxes, wolves, and badgers in different regions of the country. However, there are hardly any publications on its prevalence in dogs.

Seroprevalence of Feline Heartworm in Spain: Completing the Epidemiological Puzzle of a Neglected Disease in the Cat.

Feline heartworm is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by . It is a cosmopolitan disease that is continuously expanding. Spain is considered an endemic country; however, although there are many published studies in dogs, feline heartworm has been poorly studied in this country.

Expansion of Canine Heartworm in Spain.

The climate of Spain has favourable characteristics for the development of in dogs, being an endemic country. Given that vector-borne diseases are spreading rapidly through Europe, due to factors such as climate change, the expansion of vectors and the increased mobility of reservoir animals, the aim was to update the epidemiology of heartworm in dogs and analyse the results based on climate and other epidemiological and geo-environmental factors. To this aim, 9543 blood samples from dogs from all provinces and autonomous cities of Spain were analysed for the detection of antigens of , obtaining a prevalence of 6.

Is Dog Owner Obesity a Risk Factor for Canine Obesity? A "One-Health" Study on Human-Animal Interaction in a Region with a High Prevalence of Obesity.

Obesity in humans is a growing global problem and is one of the greatest public health challenges we face today. Most researchers agree that, as in humans, the incidence in the companion animal population is also increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors contributing to canine obesity in a region with a high rate of human obesity (Canary Islands, Spain), co-occurrence of obesogenic risk factors, and a canine population with a high percentage of unneutered dogs.

Serological Survey of Canine Vector-Borne Infections in North-Center Spain.

Various factors are currently causing an increase in vector-borne parasitic diseases at a global scale; among them, some stand out, such as climatic disturbances derived from global change, the increase in movements of reservoir animals, or changes in land made by human activity. In the European continent, there have been an increasing number of epidemiological studies focused on the detection of these diseases, especially in dogs. In Spain, there are few epidemiological studies focused on the evaluation of the biotic and abiotic factors that may influence the distribution, such as climatic zones, orography, or presence of water reservoirs.