Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2023 Jun;41:100871. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100871. Epub 2023 Apr 7.
Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne filarioid nematode that affects dogs and cats. Although heartworm infections in cats can be fatal, it is commonly neglected by cat owners and veterinarians. Moreover, diagnosing heartworm infection in cats can be challenging, requiring the integration of multiple laboratorial tests and clinical examination. The objective of this study was to estimate the occurrence of D. immitis infection in shelter cats in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of Texas using a combination of immunodiagnostic and molecular methods. The RGV has a large population of stray animals with limited access to veterinary care. One hundred and twenty-two paired samples of serum and DNA extracted from the blood clots of cats from 14 towns in this region were analyzed. Serum samples were used for heartworm antibody detection (Heska® Solo Step®), and heartworm antigen detection using a commercial ELISA kit (DiroCHEK®) pre- and post-immune-complex dissociation (ICD) via heat treatment. A species-specific probe-based qPCR assay targeting a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 of the mitochondrial DNA was utilized to detect the presence of parasite DNA. Twenty-two cats (18%) were positive in at least one diagnostic test. Antibody testing detected most cases (19/122; 15.6%); pre- and post-ICD antigen testing detected 6 cases (6/122; 4.9%); and qPCR detected the fewest cases (4/122; 3.3%), with 2 cats positive on all three diagnostic tests. Veterinarians should encourage local cat owners to utilize year-round heartworm prevention.
犬恶丝虫是一种通过蚊子传播的丝状线虫，会感染犬猫。尽管猫的心脏丝虫感染可能是致命的，但猫主人和兽医通常会忽略它。此外，诊断猫的心脏丝虫感染具有挑战性，需要整合多种实验室检测和临床检查。本研究的目的是使用免疫诊断和分子方法相结合，估计德克萨斯州下里奥格兰德河谷（RGV）地区收容所猫中犬恶丝虫感染的发生情况。RGV 地区有大量的流浪动物，它们获得兽医护理的机会有限。对来自该地区 14 个城镇的 122 对猫血清和血液凝块中提取的 DNA 样本进行了分析。血清样本用于检测心脏丝虫抗体（Heska® Solo Step®），使用商业 ELISA 试剂盒（DiroCHEK®）在免疫复合物解离（ICD）前后通过热处理进行心脏丝虫抗原检测。使用针对线粒体 DNA 细胞色素氧化酶 c 亚单位 1 片段的基于探针的 qPCR 检测寄生虫 DNA 的存在。在至少一种诊断检测中，有 22 只猫（18%）呈阳性。抗体检测检测到大多数病例（19/122；15.6%）；ICD 前后的抗原检测检测到 6 例（6/122；4.9%）；qPCR 检测到的病例最少（4/122；3.3%），有 2 只猫在所有三种诊断检测中均呈阳性。兽医应鼓励当地的猫主人全年使用心脏丝虫预防药物。
