Chapter One
Chapter One
Heartworm Disease
Heartworm disease is a serious and potentially fatal parasitic infection in pets in the United States and many other parts of the world. Heartworm infection is considered the most important vector-borne disease of pets in the United States and, as such, it remains of utmost importance to add new research and learning to the existing knowledge base and to look for new solutions and approaches to stop the increasing prevalence.
Heartworm Disease “Hot Spots”
Heartworms have been found in all 50 states, although certain areas have a higher risk of heartworms than others. Some very high-risk areas include large regions, such as near the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and along river tributaries. Most states have “hot spots” where the heartworm infection rate is very high compared with other areas in the same state (CAPC, 2016)1. Factors affecting the level of risk of heartworm infection include the climate (temperature, humidity), the species of mosquitoes in the area, presence of mosquito breeding areas, and presence of animal “reservoirs” (such as infected dogs, foxes or coyotes).
1 https://www.capcvet.org/capc-recommendations/canine-heartworm accessed October 16, 2016.