Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in Memphis, Tennessee

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Abstract
Direct blood examination of 618 dogs from the Memphis-Shelby County dog pound over a 20-month period showed an average prevalence of 15.2% infection with microfilariae of Dirofilaria immitis. There was marked seasonal variation with lower microfilarial prevalence in winter. Later, 204 additional dogs were examined by direct blood examination, concentration of blood, and dissection of the heart and pulmonary artery. Microfilariae were found in 20.6% and adult worms in 4.9%. In this sample there was little seasonal varia-tion in the numbers infected, but the dogs autopsied in the winter had lower microfilarial and adult worm densities than dogs autopsied in the fall. There was a moderately high positive correlation between microfilarial density and adult worm burden.

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