Review
Parasitology
Molly D. Savadelis, Tom L. McTier, Kristina Kryda, Steven J. Maeder, Debra J. Woods
Summary: Heartworm disease remains a significant and pathogenic disease in dogs, despite the regular use of preventive products. Some strains of D. immitis have developed resistance to the only available drug class, macrocyclic lactones (MLs), for heartworm prevention in the United States. The optimization of dose and formulation of moxidectin provides a unique opportunity to improve efficacy against ML-resistant strains. Two new products, ProHeart (R) 12 and Simparica Trio (R), have demonstrated 100% preventive efficacy against recent field strains of heartworm, offering important advances in heartworm prevention for veterinarians and pet owners.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Roger K. Prichard
Summary: Heartworm disease, caused by Dirofilaria immitis and transmitted by mosquitoes, is a lethal disease in dogs and cats. Prevention primarily relies on macrocyclic lactones, with resistance to these drugs being an important issue that requires better testing methods for confirmation and surveillance of resistance levels. Additional research and development of new classes of heartworm preventives are needed to combat the spread of resistance and further disease.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Timothy G. Geary
Summary: Despite the perception that heartworm is a solved problem in veterinary medicine, increasing frequency and geographic distribution of heartworm infections, along with resistance to preventative therapies, pose ongoing challenges. The lack of basic information on heartworms limits research into new prevention and treatment methods. Recent advances in technical platforms and laboratory animal models offer opportunities for discovering new drugs, diagnostic biomarkers, and parasite-derived molecules, as well as insights into the host-parasite relationship.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Tom L. McTier, Susan Holzmer, Kristina Kryda, Sean Mahabir, John W. McCall, Jami Trombley, Steven J. Maeder
Summary: ProHeart 12 was more effective in preventing the development of ML-resistant heartworm strain JYD-34 compared to Heartgard Plus and Interceptor Plus in both studies. Heartgard Plus and Interceptor Plus showed lower efficacy with consecutive monthly doses.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Jamie A. E. Myers, Susan Holzmer, John W. McCall, Sean P. Mahabir, Tom L. McTier, Steven J. Maeder, Kristina Kryda
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of Simparica Trio with Heartgard Plus and Interceptor Plus in preventing the development of ML-resistant heartworm strain. The results showed that six consecutive monthly doses of Simparica Trio had the highest effectiveness in preventing heartworm development.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Remy Betous, Anthony Emile, Hua Che, Eva J. Guchen, Didier Concordet, Thavy Long, Sandra Noack, Paul M. Selzer, Roger Prichard, Anne Lespine
Summary: Nematode parasites enter their definitive host as infectious larvae and DAF-12 plays a role in their development to adulthood. The filarial nematodes' DAF-12 exhibit higher sensitivity to ligands and can be specifically activated by mammalian sera. These findings suggest that filarial nematodes have evolved to sense and adapt to their host environment to resume larval development.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sonia Gomes-de-Sa, Patricia Barradas, Luis Queiros-Reis, Isabel M. Matas, Irina Amorim, Luis Cardoso, Antonio Munoz-Merida, Joao R. Mesquita
Summary: This study conducted genomic de novo assembly of a D. immitis specimen using long-read nanopore-based sequencing technology. It also identified loci associated with macrocyclic lactone resistance, highlighting the potential risk of overusing macrocyclic lactone in the region.
Article
Parasitology
Lisa M. Young, Scott Wiseman, Elizabeth Crawley, Kim Wallace, Daniel E. Snyder
Summary: The study demonstrated the effectiveness of the combination product in preventing heartworm disease and its good tolerability in dogs; all treated dogs remained heartworm negative, showing 100% prevention efficacy.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lucienne Tritten, Erica J. Burkman, Tobias Clark, Guilherme G. Verocai
Summary: Two novel miRNA candidates secreted by D. immitis larvae have been identified, which could serve as specific diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of infection.
Article
Parasitology
Andrew R. Moorhead, Christopher C. Evans, Kaori Sakamoto, Michael T. Dzimianski, Abdelmoneim Mansour, Utami DiCosty, Crystal Fricks, Scott McCall, Ben Carson, C. Thomas Nelson, John W. McCall
Summary: According to the study, using doxycycline prior to adulticide administration can effectively reduce the levels of Wolbachia and its associated metabolites, which are a leading cause of pulmonary pathology. The current guidelines recommend a 30-day wait period after using doxycycline, but this wait period may not be necessary. Therefore, reducing the wait period and doxycycline dosage may bring practical benefits to animals, pet owners, and veterinarians.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jose Alberto Montoya-Alonso, Sara Nieves Garcia Rodriguez, Elena Carreton, Ivan Rodriguez Escolar, Noelia Costa-Rodriguez, Jorge Isidoro Matos, Rodrigo Morchon
Summary: This study analyzed the exposure to feline heartworm in Spain and found that the disease is widely distributed throughout the country. The study emphasized the link between infected dogs and exposed cats, and called for effective awareness and prophylaxis measures to control the spread of feline heartworm in Spain.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Kennedy Mwacalimba, Deborah Amodie, Lisa Swisher, Marina Moldavchuk, Christopher Brennan, Claire Walther, Kelly Bowman
Summary: The study found that injectable moxidectin had a higher 12-month preventive purchase compliance rate compared to monthly heartworm disease preventives, generating more revenue for veterinary hospitals.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Rachel Smith, Daniel Felipe Barrantes Murillo, Kelly Chenoweth, Subarna Barua, Patrick John Kelly, Lindsay Starkey, Byron Blagburn, Theresa Wood, Chengming Wang
Summary: This study is the first nationwide molecular survey of Dirofilaria spp. in dogs and cats in the USA. The results revealed a higher prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in the USA, with a lower prevalence in cats. The Southern states had a significantly higher prevalence compared to other regions, and Dirofilaria repens was not detected in the USA.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Jorge Isidoro Matos, Sara Nieves Garcia-Rodriguez, Noelia Costa-Rodriguez, Alicia Caro-Vadillo, Elena Carreton, Jose Alberto Montoya-Alonso
Summary: This study assessed the diagnostic value of echocardiography tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in determining the presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs with heartworm disease. The TDI measurements showed significant differences between dogs with and without PH, and cut-off values with excellent sensitivity and specificity were found. The TDI mode may be a useful adjunct diagnostic method for PH in dogs with Dirofilaria immitis.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Biplab K. Saha, Alyssa Bonnier, Woon Hean Chong, Hau Chieng, Adam Austin, Kurt Hu, Boris Shkolnik
Summary: Human pulmonary dirofilariasis is a rare disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, the same parasite responsible for canine heartworm. The incidence of this disease is increasing worldwide due to greater awareness and factors affecting the mosquito vector. Most patients have no symptoms and are diagnosed with pulmonary nodules, while some may experience acute symptoms of pneumonia. Currently, there are no specific clinical tests, and diagnosis is usually made through surgical resection and histopathologic identification of the worm.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Amelia R. Woolums, Brandi B. Karisch, Jonathan G. Frye, William Epperson, David R. Smith, John Blanton, Frank Austin, Ray Kaplan, Lari Hiott, Tiffanie Woodley, Sushim K. Gupta, Charlene R. Jackson, Michael McClelland
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Parasitology
Grace VanHoy, Michelle Carman, Greg Habing, Jeffrey Lakritz, C. Austin Hinds, Andrew Niehaus, Ray M. Kaplan, Antoinette E. Marsh
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Parasitology
Kelsey L. Paras, Melissa M. George, Anand N. Vidyashankar, Ray M. Kaplan
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Parasitology
Bruno Levecke, Ray M. Kaplan, Stig M. Thamsborg, Paul R. Torgerson, Jozef Vercruysse, Robert J. Dobson
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Parasitology
A. M. Becher, D. C. van Doorn, K. Pfister, R. M. Kaplan, M. Reist, M. K. Nielsen
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Parasitology
Melissa M. George, Lorraine Lopez-Soberal, Bob E. Storey, Sue B. Howell, Ray M. Kaplan
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2018)
Review
Parasitology
Eric R. Morgan, Nor-Azlina A. Aziz, Alexandra Blanchard, Johannes Charlier, Claude Charvet, Edwin Claerebout, Peter Geldhof, Andrew W. Greer, Hubertus Hertzberg, Jane Hodgkinson, Johan Hoglund, Herve Hoste, Ray M. Kaplan, Maria Martinez-Valladares, Sian Mitchell, Harm W. Ploeger, Laura Rinaldi, Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Smaragda Sotiraki, Manuela Schnyder, Philip Skuce, David Bartley, Fiona Kenyon, Stig M. Thamsborg, Hannah Rose Vineer, Theo de Waal, Andrew R. Williams, Jan A. van Wyk, Jozef Vercruysse
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Parasitology
Jane E. Hodgkinson, Ray M. Kaplan, Fiona Kenyon, Eric R. Morgan, Andrew W. Park, Steve Paterson, Simon A. Babayan, Nicola J. Beesley, Collette Britton, Umer Chaudhry, Stephen R. Doyle, Vanessa O. Ezenwa, Andy Fenton, Sue B. Howell, Roz Laing, Barbara K. Mable, Louise Matthews, Jennifer McIntyre, Catherine E. Milne, Thomas A. Morrison, Jamie C. Prentice, Neil D. Sargison, Diana J. L. Williams, Adrian J. Wolstenholme, Eileen Devaney
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2019)
Article
Parasitology
Julie Sanchez, Guha Dharmarajan, Melissa M. George, Cassan Pulaski, Adrian J. Wolstenholme, John S. Gilleard, Ray M. Kaplan
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Parasitology
Kelsey L. Paras, Ray M. Kaplan
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Parasitology
Abigail R. McCrea, Pablo D. Jimenez Castro, Ray M. Kaplan, Michael Povelones
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Parasitology
Umer Chaudhry, E. M. Redman, Ray Kaplan, Thomas Yazwinski, Neil Sargison, John S. Gilleard
VETERINARY PARASITOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
James B. Collins, Brian Jordan, Anand N. Vidyashankar, Pablo Jimenez Castro, Justin Fowler, Ray M. Kaplan
Summary: This study identified resistance to fenbendazole in the common intestinal helminth of turkeys, Ascaridia dissimilis. In turkeys, infection with resistant isolates significantly impacted feed conversion and weight gain. The presence of fenbendazole-resistant worms could have significant economic implications for turkey production.
Article
Parasitology
Alistair Antonopoulos, Stephen R. Doyle, David J. Bartley, Alison A. Morrison, Ray Kaplan, Sue Howell, Cedric Neveu, Valentina Busin, Eileen Devaney, Roz Laing
Summary: Haemonchus contortus is a parasitic nematode that infects small ruminants and causes health issues and economic losses in the livestock industry. The treatment for this parasite primarily relies on broad-spectrum anthelmintics, but resistance has emerged. Levamisole (LEV) is an important treatment option, as resistance to LEV is less common. Genetic variation at the acr-8 locus has been implicated in LEV resistance.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Martin K. Nielsen, Ray M. Kaplan, Ghazanfar Abbas, Abdul Jabbar
Summary: Long-term intensive use of anthelmintics has led to widespread anthelmintic resistance, but it can also select for other biological traits. This study highlights examples of changing parasite dynamics that don't fit the definition of anthelmintic resistance, and explores cases where anthelmintic resistance has occurred along with coselection for other traits. Suggestions are made for collecting more information and addressing these knowledge gaps.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)