Mouse anti-Canine Heartworm Monoclonal antibody, clone D78H80

BackgroundFor long time, canine leishmaniosis (CanL) was considered endemic in the southern, central, and insular regions of Italy, whereas heartworm disease (HW) caused by Dirofilaria immitis was considered endemic in the northern region and in the swampy Po Valley. Following the reports of new foci of both diseases, in this study we update the distribution patterns and occurrence of new foci of CanL and HW discussing the main drivers for the changes in the epidemiology of these two important zoonotic canine vector-borne diseases.MethodsBased on the statistical analyses of serological assays (n = 90,633) on L. infantum exposure and D. immitis infection performed by two reference diagnostic centres in Italy over a ten-year period (2009-2019) irrespective of the anamnesis of dogs. The distribution patterns of both parasites are herein presented along with the occurrence of new foci.ResultsResults highlighted the changing distribution patterns of L. infantum vs D. immitis infection in Italy. CanL is endemic in some areas of northern regions and HW has endemic foci in central and southern regions and islands. Significant differences in L. infantum exposure and HW infection prevalence among the study macroareas were detected. The overall results of the positive tested samples were 28.2% in southern Italy and islands, 29.6% in central Italy and 21.6% in northern Italy for L. infantum and 2.83% in northern Italy, 7.75% in central Italy and 4.97% in southern Italy and islands for HW. HW positivity significantly varied over years (chi (2) = 108.401, df = 10, P < 0.0001), gradually increasing from 0.77% in 2009 to 8.47% in 2016-2017.ConclusionsNew potential epidemiological scenarios are discussed according to a range of factors (e.g. environmental modifications, occurrence of competent insect vectors, transportation of infected animals to non-endemic areas, chemoprophylaxis or vector preventative measures), which may affect the current distribution. Overall, the results advocate for epidemiological surveillance programmes, more focussed preventative and control measures even in areas where few or no cases of both diseases have been diagnosed.

The objective of this work was to determine the risk of exposure to Dirofilaria immitis in the stray dog population and people living in the metropolitan area of Puebla City, Mexico, using serologic methods. A total of 283 blood salmples were collected from dogs and 254 salmples from people. The canine samples were analyzed using a commercial kit to detect D. immitis antigens and the Knott test to detect microfilariae. Human samples were analyzed by ELISAs to detect antibodies against D. immitis and Wolbachia anti-WSP, as well as Western blot to identify specific bands of the parasite in the adult antigenic extract of D. immitis. Positive results were represented on a GIS map that included layers with geoenvironmental information relevant to parasite transmission in the study area. The prevalence of D. immitis in the canine stray population was 2.12 %, with positive cases found in individuals aged 1-10 years. Human seroprevalence was established at 5.11 %, with women and men similarly affected. By age, a significantly higher seroprevalence was observed in younger individuals (< 18 years) than in the rest of the population. The geolocation of the results showed that positive cases were found in the environment (within 2 km) of potentially favorable areas for mosquito breeding. The importance of human influence in the creation and maintenance of favorable conditions for the transmission of canine and human dirofilariosis within an urban area is highlighted, both by the lack of environmental sanitation and by the absence of measures to limit or eliminate the canine reservoir population.