<i>Dirofilaria immitis</i> in dogs from the coastal tourist region of the state of Alagoas, Brazil

Leão Filho, Walter Franklin Bernardino; Barros, Viviane Melo Coelho; Cardoso, Eduarda Viana Mafra; Damasceno, Flávia Silva; Malaquias, Juaci Vitória; Schwarz, David Germano Gonçalves; Silva-Júnior, Abelardo; Porto, Wagnner José Nascimento

doi:10.1590/S1984-29612024055

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Short Communication • Rev. Bras. Parasitol. Vet. 33 (3) • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-29612024055 copy

Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from the coastal tourist region of the state of Alagoas, Brazil

Dirofilaria immitis em cães de região costeira turística do estado de Alagoas, Brasil

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

Canine dirofilariasis, caused by Dirofilaria immitis, is prevalent worldwide. However, the frequency of canine infection in the state of Alagoas, Brazil is scarcely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of D. immitis infection in dogs from the coastal municipalities of Alagoas and analyze the risk factors associated with the infection. A cross-sectional study was performed using 426 dogs of different breeds and sex distributed across 15 coastal municipalities in the state of Alagoas. Blood samples were collected from each dog and analyzed for circulating microfilariae and free D. immitis antigens. To investigate the risk factors associated with D. immitis infection, we collected information on dog environments using an epidemiological questionnaire. The results revealed that 12.7% of dogs tested positive for D. immitis. Dogs with travel history were 3.52 times more likely to be infected. Thus, infected dogs in the coastal region of Alagoas should be regularly monitored and the public health system should plan strategies to control this zoonotic disease.

Keywords:
Northeastern Brazil; dirofilariasis; heartworm; dogs

	Positive		Negative		Total	HTW-ag		Multivariate
Risk factors	Positive		Negative			Bivariate		Multivariate
	n	(%)	n	(%)		p-value	OR (CI 95%)	p-value	OR (CI 95%)
Coast region						1.000	1.05 (0.57;1.88)	0.97	1.01 (0.51;2.02)
North coast	20	4.7	134	31.5	154
South coast	34	8.0	238	55.9	272
Breed						0.8821	0.87 (0.34;1.92)	0.83	1.11(0.41;3.02)
Yes	7	1.6	55	12.9	62
No	47	11.0	317	74.4	364
Gender						0.01335*	0.45 (0.23;0.82)	0.07	1.87(0.95;3.66)
Female	16	3.8	181	42.5	197
Male	38	8.9	191	44.8	229
Big Size						0.5264	1.56 (0.55;3.75)	0.58	0.74(0.26;2.14)
Yes	6	1.4	28	6.6	34
No	48	11.3	343	80.5	391
Short Coat						0.2369	1.57 (0.82;3.24)	0.15	0.57(0.27;1.22)
Yes	41	9.6	254	59.6	295
No	12	2.8	118	27.7	130
Dark color						0.9333	1.08 (0.58;2.10)	0.92	1.04(0.52;2.07)
Yes	15	3.5	107	25.1	122
No	39	9.2	257	60.3	296
Clinical signs						0.0030*	0.35 (0.18;0.70)	0.01*	2.66(1.28;5.52)
Yes	15	3.5	44	10.3	59
No	39	9.2	328	77.0	367
Deworming						0.8319	1.11 (0.61;2.06)	0.76	0.90(0.46;1.77)
No	19	4.5	143	33.6	162
Yes	34	8.0	229	53.8	263
Presence of mosquitoes						0.6754	1.40 (0.50;3.34)	0.94	0.96(0.33;2.76)
Yes	48	11.3	341	80.0	389
No	6	1.4	31	7.3	37
Travel history						0.4251	0.59 (0.24;1.68)	0.03*	3.52(1.14;10.92)
Yes	6	1.4	26	6.1	32
No	48	11.3	346	81.2	394
Guard role						0.0824	0.53 (0.28;1.05)	0.34	1.45(0.67;3.13)
Yes	15	3.5	3	0.7	18
No	39	9.2	309	72.5	348
Nocturnal habits in the backyard						0.05*	0.38 (0.13;0.91)	0.06	2.89(0.96;8.67)
Yes	49	11.5	292	68.5	341
No	5	1.2	80	18.8	85

Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária FCAV/UNESP - Departamento de Patologia Veterinária, Via de acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane s/n, Zona Rural, , 14884-900 Jaboticabal - SP, Brasil, Fone: (16) 3209-7100 RAMAL 7934 - Jaboticabal - SP - Brazil
E-mail: cbpv_rbpv.fcav@unesp.br

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[1] *Corresponding author: Wagnner José Nascimento Porto. E-mail: wagnnerporto@icbs.ufal.br