Levy Julie K, Snyder Patti S, Taveres Larissa M, Hooks Jennifer L, Pegelow Mike J, Slater Margaret R, Hughes Kathy L, Salute Marc E
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2003 Nov-Dec;39(6):533-7. doi: 10.5326/0390533.
Necropsies were performed on 630 adult cats in northern Florida to determine the prevalence and risk factors for heartworm infection in cats of this region. Heartworms were identified in 4.9% of cats, and serological evidence of heartworm exposure was present in 17% of cats. Not all cats from which heartworms were recovered were seropositive for heartworm antigen or antibody. There was no association between heartworm infection and co-infection with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Male cats were at higher risk of infection with heartworm, FeLV, or FIV than were females. Because even a single heartworm can cause clinical disease or death in cats, the authors conclude that cats in this region should receive heartworm prophylaxis to prevent heartworm infection.
对佛罗里达州北部的630只成年猫进行了尸检，以确定该地区猫心丝虫感染的患病率和风险因素。在4.9%的猫中发现了心丝虫，17%的猫有接触心丝虫的血清学证据。并非所有检出心丝虫的猫对心丝虫抗原或抗体都是血清阳性。心丝虫感染与猫白血病病毒（FeLV）或猫免疫缺陷病毒（FIV）的合并感染之间没有关联。雄性猫感染心丝虫、FeLV或FIV的风险高于雌性猫。由于即使是单条心丝虫也可能导致猫出现临床疾病或死亡，作者得出结论，该地区的猫应该接受心丝虫预防措施以防止心丝虫感染。
