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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1444275
This article is part of the Research Topic Epidemiology, prevention, and control of animal diseases in the “stan” countries of Central Asia View all articles

Epidemiological investigation of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs and mosquitoes from Samarkand region, Uzbekistan

Provisionally accepted
Alisher Safarov Alisher Safarov 1,2*Otayorjon Abdunabiyev Otayorjon Abdunabiyev 3Firuza Akramova Firuza Akramova 4Mourad Ben Said Mourad Ben Said 5
  • 1 National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • 2 Faculty of Biology, National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • 3 Samarkand Agricultural Institute, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
  • 4 Academy of Sciences Republic of Uzbekistan (UzAS), Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  • 5 Manouba University, Manouba, Tunisia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Dirofilaria immitis, commonly known as heartworm, poses a substantial threat to canines in the Samarkand region, Uzbekistan. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the prevalence and transmission dynamics of Dirofilaria immitis, considering the distinctive geographical and climatic factors influencing disease spread. A cross-sectional survey conducted from January 2022 to December 2023, involved the examination of 159 dogs in temporary shelters, comprising 113 stray and 46 pets. Utilizing the Knott's test, the presence of D. immitis microfilariae was assessed. Simultaneously, 4828 female mosquitoes were sampled in June, July and September 2023 to investigate their potential role as vectors. A total of 41 (25.7%) dogs tested positive for D. immitis microfilariae. District-wise analysis highlighted significantly higher infection rates in Urgut 10 (55.5%), Jomboy 6 (42.8%), and Payariq 11 (42.3%) districts. Importantly, among the 142 dogs that underwent a thorough helminthological examination, 61 (42.9%) exhibited the mature stage of D. immitis in the right ventricle of the heart. Concurrently, an infection rate of 4.9% was observed in 237 mosquitoes, with the Jomboy mosquitoes having the highest infection rate of 130 (54.8%). The prevalence of D. immitis larvae in mosquitoes is notably elevated, ranging from 3.8% to 10.2% in the studied areas of the Samarkand region. The intensity of infestation varied from 16-26 larvae in Culex pipiens and 10-16 larvae in Anopheles maculipennis. This study yields crucial insights into the localized prevalence and transmission patterns of D. immitis in the Samarkand region. The identified high-risk districts necessitate targeted interventions, including regular veterinary check-ups and mosquito control measures. The findings underscore the importance of continuous surveillance and climate-informed interventions for effective control and prevention of heartworm disease in this endemic region.

    Keywords: Dirofilaria immitis, Heartworm, Canine parasitism, Mosquito potential vectors, Dogs, mosquitos, Epidemiology, Samarkand

    Received: 05 Jun 2024; Accepted: 29 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Safarov, Abdunabiyev, Akramova and Ben Said. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Alisher Safarov, National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

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