Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Maceió, AL, Brasil.
Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal, Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFAL, Maceió, AL, Brasil.
Rev Bras Parasitol Vet. 2024 Sep 16;33(3):e006824. doi: 10.1590/S1984-29612024055. eCollection 2024.
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.
犬心丝虫病由犬恶丝虫引起,在世界范围内广泛流行。然而,巴西阿拉戈斯州的犬类感染频率却鲜为人知。本研究旨在评估阿拉戈斯州沿海城市的犬类感染犬恶丝虫的频率,并分析与感染相关的风险因素。本研究采用横断面研究方法,共纳入 426 只来自阿拉戈斯州 15 个沿海城市的不同品种和性别的犬。采集每只犬的血液样本,检测循环微丝蚴和游离犬恶丝虫抗原。为了调查与犬恶丝虫感染相关的风险因素,我们使用流行病学问卷收集了犬的环境信息。结果显示,12.7%的犬检测出犬恶丝虫阳性。有旅行史的犬感染的可能性是没有旅行史犬的 3.52 倍。因此,阿拉戈斯州沿海地区的感染犬应定期监测,公共卫生系统应制定策略来控制这种人畜共患病。