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American Association
of
Veterinary Parasitologist
51
sl
Annual Meeting
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, HI
were assigned to one
of
two treatment groups. There were three experimental animals in each treatment
group and each orally received therapeutic doses
of
either FBZ (group A) or MO (group B) mixed with
their food. Within 6 days
of
treatment with FBZ, there was a 100% reduction in the number
of
T.
trichiura eggs shed per gram
of
feces from all three baboons in group
A.
Fecal egg counts remained
negative for
T.
trichiura from group A baboons 60 days post-treatment. Conversely, comparisons
of
the
number
of
T.
trichiura eggs shed per gram
of
feces pre- and post-treatment from group B baboons that
received MO showed that there was not a significant reduction. The number
of
T.
trichiura eggs per gram
of
feces increased by 134.1% post-treatment for one
of
the baboons in group B whereas reductions in egg
counts
of
only 4.6% and 29.0% were observed from the other two baboons that received MO. During the
same time period
of
pre- and post-treatments fecal eggs count for
T.
trichiura from baboons in groups A
and B, a control baboon that did not receive anthelmintic treatment had a reduction
of
24.8% in the
number
of
T.
trichiura eggs shed per gram
of
feces. The results
of
this study indicate that FBZ was
extremely effective for treating baboons infected with
T.
trichiura whereas treatment with MO had little
to no effect.
62
Current
status
of
canine
heartworm
disease in
Korea
and
its potential public health importance.
SUNGSHIK SHIN
1
*,
SHINYOUNG
KANG\
lUNGKEE KWON
2
.
ICOLLEGE OF VETERINARY
MEDICINE, CHONNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, GW ANGlU, KOREA, AND 2COLLEGE
OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE, CHONBUK NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, KOREA.
Since canine dirofilariasis in South Korea was first reported in 1962, the causative parasite, Dirofilaria
immitis,
is
continuing to spread within the country. A survey
of
canine dirofilariasis in five areas
of
South
Korea in 1994, for instance, revealed that 28.3%
of
127
dogs were infected with
D.
immitis. In 2001,
however, the prevalence
of
heartworm infection among
165
dogs in three breeding farms in the vicinity
of
Seoul, Korea was 50.3%. Between 2004 and 2005, another survey
of
can! ine dirofilariasis in lindo Island
showed that 254
of365
dogs (69.6%) were infected with
D.
immitis. Moreover, a highly endemic area
of
canine dirofilariasis was yet located in Asan where 26
of
30 dogs (86.7%) were infected. Presence
of
D.
immitis was also documented in other animals such as cats, raccoon dogs, harbor seals, and jaguars in
Korea. An echocardiographic study compared with necropsy findings performed on
12
lindo dogs
naturally infected with heartworms indicated that the adult hemtworms were located mostly in the
terminal branches
of
the pulmonary arteries rather than in the heart when the host was alive, but the
worms appeared to move toward the right ventricle shortly after the
he!
art
of
the infected dogs stopped
beating. Clinical signs
of
canine dirofilariasis did not necessarily con-elate with the number
of
adult
worms. Several field trials have been performed in Korea using commercial prophylactic agents with
avermectin derivatives
as
the active ingredient which included ivelmectin, selamectin and moxidectin. A
considerable variation in the accuracy
of
9 commercially available diagnostic kits was noticed. As the
incidence
of
canine dirofilariasis appears to be increasing in Korea, this entity represents an impOltant
zoonosis and indicates a need for familiarity with the pathologic features
of
the lesions and the
morphologic characteristics
of
the worm.
63
Results
and
realistic implications
of
the
2004 AHS-Merial
heartworm
survey. lORGE
GUERRER0
1
*,
CT NELSON
2
,
DS
CARITHERS
3
.
I
DEPT
OF PATHOBIOLOGY, SCHOOL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY
OF
PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, PA,
2AMERICAN HEARTWORM SOCIETY (PRESIDENT), ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER, ANNISTON,
AL AND
3
M
ERIAL LIMITED, DULUTH, GA.
62
American Association
of
Veterinary Parasitologist
51
st Annual Meeting
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, HI
In 2005, a heartworm survey was sent out to over 25,000 veterinary practices by the American
Heartworm Society, in cooperation with Merial. Responses were received from more than 12,000
veterinary clinics, and based upon these responses, more than 250,000 dogs in the US tested positive for
heartworms in 2004. These numbers were up slightly from 244,000 positive dogs noted in a similar
survey, with a similar response rate, performed in 2001. Although response rate was high, the survey data
accounts for less than one-half
of
the total veterinary clinics in the United States. The American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported that,
of
the 61.6 million dogs in the US, 51.5 million
(83.6%) are seen by veterinarians at least once a year.
1
Furthermore, according to polls by Gallup2 and
B&R
Tracking
3
,
heartworm disease preventives are only dispensed to
~58%
of
dog-owning households, a
8% decline from the 66% dispensing rate reported in 1998. The information on non-reporting clinics in
the 2004 survey, A VMA data on dogs never seen by veterinarians, and decreased preventive dispensing,
would indicate that heartworm disease is likely a much more significant issue than the AHS/Merial
heartworm survey numbers indicate. Both the
2001 and 2004 heartworm surveys were performed to
increase awareness and provide a tool for client education. They were intended to illustrate the need for
heartworm disease prevention for pet owners and veterinary staff. While useful as an education tool, these
surveys underestimate the prevalence
of
canine heartworm disease. These survey results demonstrate a
need for continued, consistent and aggressive heartworm education. Future practitioners and veterinary
technicians, current practitioners, clinic staff, and pet owners, all need education and awareness to
decrease the real number
of
heartworm positive dogs in the US.
64
Data
from
the
1992-2002
annual
heartworm
surveys
for
Ontario,
Canada
and
effectiveness
of
preventive
medication. OWEN SLOCOMBE*, DEPARTMENT OF PATHOBIOLOGY, ONTARIO
VETERINARY COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, GUELPH, ONTARIO,
CANADA.
In Canada, annual questionnaire surveys for Dirofilaria immitis in dogs were conducted since 1976. Data
from a small section
of
the 1992 - 2002 surveys is presented for the province
of
Ontario, the primary
focus
of
heartworm (HW) infection in Canada. During that period, cases reported for Canada and Ontario
ranged from 327 - 812 and 240 - 676 respectively. Other information presented here is only for Ontario
with ranges for the 1992 - 2002 period. The response rate to the questionnaires was 60 - 73%. Number
of
blood tests reported and prevalence estimated were 255,360 - 289,289 and 0.09% - 0.25% respectively.
Exceptionally few dogs (range 20 - 84) that had preventive medication tested
HW
positive. Most positive
dogs (range 233 - 612) never had medication.
HW
cases/20,000 tests for dogs that had medication ranged
from 1.9 - 7.4 and for dogs that did not from 95.7 - 203.0. From 1993 onwards, there was a gradual trend
upwards in numbers in all those parameters with a marked increase in 1996 - 1998, a marked decline in
2000 and subsequently a gradual decline to 2002. For about 53%
of
HW
dogs that had medication, the
owners admitted to missing medicating or improper dosage. For the other 47%, principal reasons were the
dogs the previous year and prior to medication were (1) diagnosed with
HW
and (a) not given an
adulticide, or (b) given an adulticide but with inadequate or no determination
of
its effectiveness, (2)
tested only for microfilariae and negative, but the next year tested for antigen and positive, (3) not tested
or tested negative (type
of
test unknown) and the next year tested at another clinic and positive. Owner
non-compliance with use
of
HW
preventive medication and product failure were minor issues during
1992-2002.
63
