Exploration of the sensitivity to macrocyclic lactones in the canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) in Australia using phenotypic and genotypic approaches.

ABSTRACT: Canine heartworm disease is a potentially deadly cardiopulmonary disease caused by the mosquito-borne filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis. In Australia, the administration of macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs has successfully reduced the prevalence of D. immitis infection. However, the recent re-emergence of D. immitis in dogs in Queensland, Australia and the identification of ML-resistant isolates in the USA poses an important question of whether ML-resistance has emerged in this parasite in Australia. The aim of this study was to utilise phenotypic and genotypic approaches to examine the sensitivity to ML drugs in D. immitis in Australia. To do this, we surveyed 45 dogs from Queensland and New South Wales across 3 years (2019-2022) for the presence of D. immitis infection using an antigen

SUBMITTER: Power RI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9772245 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature