Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective
Climatic and various socio-geographical variables have significantly influenced the global spread of <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i>. The coastal district of Aveiro, Portugal, marked by its unique hydrographic structure, Ria de Aveiro, and a concerning rise in heartworm disease, was the focus...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Joana Esteves-Guimarães José Alberto Montoya-Alonso Jorge Isidoro Matos Elmano Ramalheira Elena Carretón Ivan Rodríguez-Escolar Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente Manuel Collado-Cuadrado Rodrigo Morchón Ana Patrícia Fontes-Sousa |
| author_facet | Joana Esteves-Guimarães José Alberto Montoya-Alonso Jorge Isidoro Matos Elmano Ramalheira Elena Carretón Ivan Rodríguez-Escolar Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente Manuel Collado-Cuadrado Rodrigo Morchón Ana Patrícia Fontes-Sousa |
| author_sort | Joana Esteves-Guimarães |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climatic and various socio-geographical variables have significantly influenced the global spread of <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i>. The coastal district of Aveiro, Portugal, marked by its unique hydrographic structure, Ria de Aveiro, and a concerning rise in heartworm disease, was the focus of our study. We aimed to update the prevalence of <i>D. immitis</i> in dogs and the seroprevalence in cats and humans, correlating these data with epidemiological information. A total of 430 dogs were sampled for <i>D. immitis</i> antigens, and 426 cats and 398 humans for <i>D. immitis</i> and <i>Wolbachia</i> sp. antibodies. In addition, we developed and validated an infection risk map for <i>D.</i> immitis with the geolocation of positive samples. Our results indicate a canine prevalence of 4.7%, peaking at 16.7% in Vagos. Feline and human seroprevalences were 8.9% (26.7% in Espinho) and 3.0% (Vagos presented the most alarming results), respectively. Positive samples were found in both high- and low-risk areas highlighting the need for chemoprophylaxis in all municipalities. Risk factors identified included lack of vaccination and internal deworming in cats, while dogs faced risks from inadequate vaccination and outdoor exposure. Our study identifies Aveiro as an endemic area, with a need for control measures to address this public health threat. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-29620dd0220942df8d162e46d7c9e8d7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-29620dd0220942df8d162e46d7c9e8d72025-08-20T03:06:32ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-03-0115795210.3390/ani15070952Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health PerspectiveJoana Esteves-Guimarães0José Alberto Montoya-Alonso1Jorge Isidoro Matos2Elmano Ramalheira3Elena Carretón4Ivan Rodríguez-Escolar5Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente6Manuel Collado-Cuadrado7Rodrigo Morchón8Ana Patrícia Fontes-Sousa9Clínica Veterinária Aanifeira, 4520-409 Santa Maria da Feira, PortugalInternal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainInternal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainClinical Pathology Department, Baixo Vouga-Public Business Entity (EPE) Hospital Centre, Avenida Artur Ravara, 3810-501 Aveiro, PortugalInternal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainZoonotic Infections and One Health Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Centre for Environmental Studies and Rural Dynamization (CEADIR), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainZoonotic Infections and One Health Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Centre for Environmental Studies and Rural Dynamization (CEADIR), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainZoonotic Infections and One Health Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Centre for Environmental Studies and Rural Dynamization (CEADIR), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, SpainInternal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainInternal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Institute of Biomedical and Health Sciences (IUIBS), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35413 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, SpainClimatic and various socio-geographical variables have significantly influenced the global spread of <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i>. The coastal district of Aveiro, Portugal, marked by its unique hydrographic structure, Ria de Aveiro, and a concerning rise in heartworm disease, was the focus of our study. We aimed to update the prevalence of <i>D. immitis</i> in dogs and the seroprevalence in cats and humans, correlating these data with epidemiological information. A total of 430 dogs were sampled for <i>D. immitis</i> antigens, and 426 cats and 398 humans for <i>D. immitis</i> and <i>Wolbachia</i> sp. antibodies. In addition, we developed and validated an infection risk map for <i>D.</i> immitis with the geolocation of positive samples. Our results indicate a canine prevalence of 4.7%, peaking at 16.7% in Vagos. Feline and human seroprevalences were 8.9% (26.7% in Espinho) and 3.0% (Vagos presented the most alarming results), respectively. Positive samples were found in both high- and low-risk areas highlighting the need for chemoprophylaxis in all municipalities. Risk factors identified included lack of vaccination and internal deworming in cats, while dogs faced risks from inadequate vaccination and outdoor exposure. Our study identifies Aveiro as an endemic area, with a need for control measures to address this public health threat.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/952<i>Dirofilaria immitis</i><i>Wolbachia pipientis</i>zoonosisAveiroPortugalseroepidemiological study |
| spellingShingle | Joana Esteves-Guimarães José Alberto Montoya-Alonso Jorge Isidoro Matos Elmano Ramalheira Elena Carretón Ivan Rodríguez-Escolar Alfonso Balmori-de la Puente Manuel Collado-Cuadrado Rodrigo Morchón Ana Patrícia Fontes-Sousa Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective Animals <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i> <i>Wolbachia pipientis</i> zoonosis Aveiro Portugal seroepidemiological study |
| title | Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective |
| title_full | Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective |
| title_short | Raising Awareness of Canine, Feline and Human Dirofilariosis in Aveiro, Portugal: A One Health Perspective |
| title_sort | raising awareness of canine feline and human dirofilariosis in aveiro portugal a one health perspective |
| topic | <i>Dirofilaria immitis</i> <i>Wolbachia pipientis</i> zoonosis Aveiro Portugal seroepidemiological study |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/952 |
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