Heartworm
transmitted by mosquitoes
Heartworm
Heartworm disease is caused by a worm named Dirofilaria immitis, transmitted by the bites of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can indeed feed on dog’s blood as well as they feed on people. In dogs, mosquito bites can trigger allergic reactions and transmit different pathogens.
Among the pathogens that can be transmitted by mosquitoes, Dirofilaria immitis is by far the most dangerous for dogs. Heartworm disease can threaten your dog’s health as it will severely impair the function of many organs including the lungs, heart and kidneys. After infection, it will take about 6 months before the disease can be diagnosed. On top of that, treating heartworm disease is risky and complicated, so prevention is by far the preferred option.
Prevention strategy includes:
• Combined use of a repellent parasiticide with proven efficacy against mosquitoes and chemoprophylaxis using macrocyclic lactones as per your veterinarian advices.
• Remove mosquito favorite developing sites near your home, such as stagnant waters.
Geographical distribution
The distribution of canine heartworm disease is changing. Invasive mosquito species and climate change contribute to spread heartworm disease in areas where it was not endemic before. It is therefore recommended to keep up-to-date about the heartworm disease risk in the area where you live or where you plan to travel with your dog.
You can easily check the real-time heartworm disease occurrence map!
Discover more about the importance of heartworm disease map and how the heartworm disease geographical distribution is changing with Dr. Elena Carreton (ULPGC, Spain).
Heartworm map
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Learn more about the diseases
Babesiosis
Canine babesiosis is a vector-borne disease caused by Babesia spp. protozoa.
These parasites are mainly transmitted by ticks.
Different species of Babesia can be involved and may require different therapeutic protocols.
The distribution of the species is highly linked to the distribution of their respective tick vectors.
For example, in Europe, B. canis is spread by Dermacentor ticks and recently spreading North.
Lyme borreliosis
Canine Lyme borreliosis is a Vector-Borne Disease caused by Borrelia spp. bacteria transmitted by Ixodes ticks.
Different species of Borrelia can be involved depending on the geographic location.
For example, while only B. burgdorferi sensu stricto was found in North America, many other species can infect dogs in Europe.
Dogs are not a competent reservoir of the pathogen but they represent a useful sentinel reflecting the risk of infection of their owners.
Cutaneous dirofilariosis
Canine cutaneous dirofilariosis is a zoonotic Vector-Borne Disease caused by a nematode parasite named Dirofilaria repens.
This parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes while they bite and canids are the major reservoir.
Humans can also be infected by the vector but it's a benign infection.
Heartworm
Canine heartworm is a life-threatening Vector-Borne Disease caused by a nematode parasite named Dirofilaria immitis.
This parasite is transmitted by mosquitoes while they bite.
Despite considerable efforts for prevention, the disease keeps spreading in different zones of the world.
Leishmaniosis
Canine visceral leishmaniosis is a vector-borne disease caused by a protozoan pathogen named Leishmania infantum.
Although other routes of transmission are possible, this parasite is mainly transmitted by the bites of small phlebotomine sand flies.
It's a severe zoonotic disease spreading across the world.
Anaplasmosis
Canine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by an intra-cellular bacteria (Anaplasma phagocytophilum or A. platys). Also called tick-fever, this pathogen is transmitted by Ixodes ticks. The first signs can be observed after an incubation of 1 to 2 weeks after the infectious bite.
Ehrlichiosis
Canine ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by an intra-cellular bacteria (Ehrlichia spp.).
This pathogen is usually transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks.
Transmission can occur within the first three hours of the tick infestation.
Clinical signs can be severe and and tick control is the first line of prevention.
Tick-borne encephalitis - TBE
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a vector-borne disease caused by a flavivirus (family Flaviviridae).
This pathogen is transmitted within a few minutes through Ixodes tick bites.
In addition to fever, tick-borne encephalitis infection is characterized by changes in behavior and neurologic signs.
The severe form is often fatal for dogs.
This vector-borne disease is predominantly found in central, eastern and northern Europe.