Abstract
A survey of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infections among German shepherds in five areas of South Korea was performed from October 1994 to August 1995 using a microfilarial test (modified Knott's test) and an antigen test (DiroCHEK , Synbiotics, USA). The infection rate of 127 German shepherds (71 males and 56 females) was 10.2% (13/127) by the microfilarial test, but was 28.3% (36/127) by the antigen test, revealing that 24 of the 36 antigen-positive dogs were microfilaria-negative in the peripheral blood. All dogs that were microfilaria-positive were also antigen-positive. Three of the microfilaria-negative and antigen-positive dogs contained 4 - 15 adult heartworms in the heart and pulmonary arteries upon necropsy. The infection rate among German shepherds was the highest in Hoengsong-gun (Kangwon-do, 84.4%), while those of Yechon-gun (Kyongsangbuk-do) and Chungwon-gun (Chungchongbuk-do) areas were 20.0% and 14.3%, respectively. None of the dogs in the Kimhae-shi (Kyongsangnam-do) and Kwangju areas was heartworm positive. The infection rates of heartworm in dogs at the age of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-11 years were 6.3%, 21.4%, and 56.4%, respectively. Based on the fact that the antigen test is more accurate than the microfilarial test, this study strongly indicates that the prevalence rate of canine heartworm in Korea may be higher than previously reported (3.1+=23.0%) which utilized microfilarial tests.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
- Differential diagnosis of Dirofilaria immitis nematodes (Nematoda, Onchocercidae)
D. Kryvoruchenko, Y. Prykhodko, O. Mazannyі, O. Titarenko, I. Reva, L. Sherstiuk
Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems.2021; 12(4): 642. CrossRef - Prime detection of Dirofilaria immitis: understanding the influence of blocked antigen on heartworm test performance
Susan Little, Meriam Saleh, Megan Wohltjen, Yoko Nagamori
Parasites & Vectors.2018;[Epub] CrossRef - İNSANLARDA HASTALIK YAPAN DİROFİLARİA TÜRLERİ VE DİROFİLARİASİS
Fadime Eroğlu
Sağlık Akademisi Kastamonu.2017;[Epub] CrossRef - Serum cardiac troponin I concentrations in clinically normal and Dirofilaria immitis infected Korean Jindo dogs
Soo-Hyen Hwang, Hyung-Jin Park, Kyoung-Won Seo, Sang-Eun Lee, Kun-Ho Song
Korean Journal of Veterinary Research.2014; 54(1): 53. CrossRef - Investigation of Dirofilaria immitis infection in stray dogs from public animal shelters in Seoul
Neung-Hee Kim, Jeong-Yeon Kwak, Hye-Ra Kim, Hyeong-Suk Park, Doo-Hwan Kim, Ju-Hyung Lee
Korean Journal of Veterinary Service.2014; 37(3): 197. CrossRef - A survey of canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) infections among Jindo dogs
Jeong-Chi Lee
Korean Journal of Veterinary Service.2013; 36(4): 327. CrossRef - Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic
Fernando Simón, Mar Siles-Lucas, Rodrigo Morchón, Javier González-Miguel, Isabel Mellado, Elena Carretón, Jose Alberto Montoya-Alonso
Clinical Microbiology Reviews.2012; 25(3): 507. CrossRef - A Survey on Dirofilaria immitis Occurence in Stray Dogs of Tabriz (Iran)
Ahmad Nematollahi, Mohammad Ali Javidi Barazandeh
Acta Veterinaria Brno.2010; 79(3): 449. CrossRef - Serological update and molecular characterization of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs, South Korea
K.H. Song, J.E. Park, D.H. Lee, S.H. Lee, H.J. Shin
Research in Veterinary Science.2010; 88(3): 467. CrossRef - Comparison of selected canine vector-borne diseases between urban animal shelter and rural hunting dogs in Korea
Sun Lim, Peter J Irwin, SeungRyong Lee, MyungHwan Oh, KyuSung Ahn, BoYoung Myung, SungShik Shin
Parasites & Vectors.2010;[Epub] CrossRef - A serological survey of Dirofilaria immitis infection in pet dogs of Busan, Korea, and effects of chemoprophylaxis
Kang Hyun Byeon, Bong Jin Kim, Sun-Mi Kim, Hak Sun Yu, Hae Jin Jeong, Mee-Sun Ock
The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2007; 45(1): 27. CrossRef - Molecular survey of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens by direct PCR for wild caught mosquitoes in the Republic of Korea
Sang-Eun Lee, Heung-Chul Kim, Sung-Tae Chong, Terry A. Klein, Won-Ja Lee
Veterinary Parasitology.2007; 148(2): 149. CrossRef - Prevalence of Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Chuncheon, Korea (2004)
Yong-Hun Kim, Sun Huh
The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2005; 43(2): 65. CrossRef - Seroprevalence of canine dirofilariosis in South Korea
K.H. Song, S.E. Lee, M. Hayasaki, K. Shiramizu, D.H. Kim, K.W. Cho
Veterinary Parasitology.2003; 114(3): 231. CrossRef - Periodicity exhibited by Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae identified in dogs of Korea
J K Rhee, S S Yang, H C Kim
The Korean Journal of Parasitology.1998; 36(4): 235. CrossRef
