Geographical information systems as a tool in the control of heartworm infections in dogs and cats.

Geospatial tools (e.g., geographical information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems, and virtual globes) are very useful for the simultaneous visualization of health data with environmental data, which holds promise to understand environmental-health linkages and to generate new hypotheses to be tested in future research. Current epidemiological studies clearly show that the distribution patterns of vector-borne infections are changing; for example, in Europe, heartworm infection and subcutaneous dirofilariosis are spreading throughout areas that previously had little to no incidence of heartworm. In view of the changes of the distribution patterns of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens, geospatial tools are now more useful for mapping (including territorial sampling), monitoring, ecological analysis, risk assessment, forecasting (including the choose of the timing of treatment), early warning, and surveillance of both heartworm and subcutaneous dirofilariosis. All these issues have control of these infections as the ultimate goal.