Heartworm disease – Overview, intervention, and industry perspective

• Main Authors: Sandra Noack, John Harrington, Douglas S. Carithers, Ronald Kaminsky, Paul M. Selzer
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance
• Subjects: Heartworm disease; Dirofilaria immitis; Macrocyclic lactones; Mechanism of action; Anthelmintic resistance; Animal health
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211320721000142

Dirofilaria immitis, also known as heartworm, is a major parasitic threat for dogs and cats around the world. Because of its impact on the health and welfare of companion animals, heartworm disease is of huge veterinary and economic importance especially in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Within the animal health market many different heartworm preventive products are available, all of which contain active components of the same drug class, the macrocyclic lactones. In addition to compliance issues, such as under-dosing or irregular treatment intervals, the occurrence of drug-resistant heartworms within the populations in the Mississippi River areas adds to the failure of preventive treatments. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the disease, summarize the current disease control measures and highlight potential new avenues and best practices for treatment and prevention.