| dc.description.abstract | Background: Heartworm infestation is a growing problem because of the global
climate change. Dirofilaria immitis can spread in several parts of the world as
warmer climate allows the worms to develop in the biological vectors and infest
their biological hosts. In the last decade, D. immitis not just appeared in Hungary
but now it is a widespread endemic infection, therefore its proper diagnosis and
management is paramount.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevention and treatment
habits of heartworm infestation among Hungarian veterinarians and find differ-
ences between veterinarians regarding to their geographical location, prevention
and diagnostic strategies.
Materials and Methods: An online questionnaire, containing sixteen ques-
tions, was performed to assess the habits of veterinarians about the prevention
and treatment of heartworm infestation in dogs and cats. From the received
responses the authors made statistical analysis to determine differences between
veterinarian groups, categorised by their geographical location, prevention, and
diagnostic strategies.
Results and Discussion: From the 144 received questionnaires we found sig-
nificant differences. Regarding the geographical location and the prevention
rate categorisation there were differences between the frequency of usage of
diagnostic tests, the preference of whole year prevention, the number of diag-
nosed cases, the heartworm prevention rate, and the treatment method. Based
on regression analysis, if the veterinarians start the heartworm prophylaxis 2.6
months later than current, the ratio of diagnosed cases will be increased with
1%. In the view of these results, it is necessary to use the latest knowledge of
heartworm management to prevent this infestation. | en_US |
