Diagnosis and Treatment of Dirofilaria immitis in Two Cats From Italy.

ABSTRACT: Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne filarioid that primarily infects dogs. Infection of cats is infrequent, and diagnosis of feline cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis may be overlooked. Here we describe D. immitis infections in two cats from Central-Northern Italy, where heartworm disease is endemic in dogs. Both cats tested positive on a rapid heartworm point of care (POC) antigen test. Case 1, a 13-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair (DSH) cat was investigated for progressive respiratory signs, including cough, nasal discharge, dyspnea and reverse sneezing. By contrast, Case 2, a 7-year-old male entire free-roaming colony cat with a fractured right tibia, tested positive during pre-surgical screening tests. Both cases were seropositive for Dirofilaria species anti-IgG. A duplex re

SUBMITTER: Carbonara M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12199810 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature