Unlike leishmaniasis, which is transmitted by a specific mosquito species, the Dirofilaria immitis worm (which causes heartworm disease in dogs) can be inoculated by almost any hematophagous (i.e. blood-sucking) mosquito. In this parasitic disease, the worm settles in the heart and pulmonary veins of dogs. cause life-threatening problems. With the help of the experts at Centro Veterinario Lisboa, we tell you exactly what happened.
Also known as heartworm disease, this disease is caused in its adult form by a parasite that resides in the pulmonary arteries and the right ventricle of the heart. A severe cardiorespiratory condition in affected dogsmay result in death. Transmission occurs through the bite of Culex, Aedes or Anopheles mosquitoes (grouping of at least 70 species), carries the infecting larvae of the parasite. Its greatest “activity” occurs at dawn and dusk in the months between March and October.
Symptoms
During the first six months after inoculation with the parasite, the animal is usually asymptomatic. In this phase, the larvae migrate from the host organism without causing any change. They begin to arise and form when they are located in the pulmonary arteries. cough, shortness of breath, and exercise intolerance.
The presence of the parasite in the pulmonary arteries causes severe inflammation in them, which in turn leads to thromboembolism with the release of fragments of the deceased parasite, causing pulmonary hypertension, which in time leads to pulmonary hypertension. severe congestive heart failure.
This whole process the animal gradually loses weightvery marked respiratory distress, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites), shock, liver failure, hemoglobinemia (free hemoglobin in the blood) and hemoglobinuria (hemoglobin in the urine) and eventually death.
Higher risk areas
The disease is present in the entire Mediterranean basin. Although there are some areas with very high prevalence in our country: Huelva, Cadiz, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Ebro Delta, Aranjuez, Tormes Valley. There is a small presence of parasites in the rest of the country, but should be considered significant.
Also, the trend increase their presence in numbers and in increasingly larger areas partly because temperatures tend to rise, making the presence of mosquitoes more favourable.
Treatment and prevention
This disease is not transmitted from dog to human, and fortunately for those of us with fur, there is a drug called Moxidectin, as an annual injectioncauses filarial larvae inoculated into the vaccinated dog to die before they become an adult worm. There are other preventive treatments in pill or pipette form for skin application, but these need to be applied monthly.
If the dog already has the disease, the veterinarian should evaluate the dog’s heart, liver and kidney function to assess the risks of treatment. As usual, adult worms are killed with an arsenic-based compound (called Ivermectin in liquid form or in pills).
After treatment, the dog needs to rest for a few weeks so that his body has enough time to absorb the dead worms unharmed. Otherwise, when the dog makes an effort, dead worms can break off and go to the lungscan cause respiratory failure and death. When heartworm tests are negative, treatment is considered successful.
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Source: Trendencias
