TITLE:
Prevalence of Canine Heartworm Disease in Stray Dogs of Grenada, West Indies
AUTHORS:
Melissa C. Brown, Alfred Chikweto, Keshaw P. Tiwari, Claude DeAllie, Muhammad Iqbal Bhaiyat, Ravindra N. Sharma
KEYWORDS:
Dirofilaria immitis, Prevalence, Stray Dogs, Necropsy, Grenada
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.7 No.11,
November
29,
2017
ABSTRACT: Dirofilariasis (heartworm disease) has been reported in Grenadian dogs. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in stray dogs (n = 523) from the six Parishes of Grenada. Necropsy records were reviewed; information on the distribution and lesions of Dirofilaria immitis was recorded. A total of 144 from 523 dogs (27.5%; 95% CI: 23.9% to 31.5%) were positive for Dirofilaria immitis on necropsy. This study shows that heartworm disease is prevalent in stray dogs in all the Parishes of mainland Grenada. This is a progressive, life-threatening disease and thus, there is a need to screen and prevent it within the stray dog population of Grenada.