Prevalence and risk factors associated with Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs in Kerman city, southeast Iran

Saderi, Mehdi; Asadi, Sepideh; Dodangeh, Ali

doi:10.22034/cjvs.2026.573385.1059

Prevalence and risk factors associated with Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs in Kerman city, southeast Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mehdi Saderi ¹

Sepideh Asadi ²

Ali Dodangeh ³

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University, Kerman, Iran.

² Department of Pathobioligy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technology, Amol, Iran.

³ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/cjvs.2026.573385.1059

Abstract

Dogs are recognized as one of the primary reservoirs of Dirofilaria immitis, a zoonotic parasite affecting both humans and animals. Endemic cases of dirofilariasis caused by this parasite have been reported in various regions of Iran. The present study was conducted to update epidemiological data on the prevalence of D. immitis infection in both domestic and stray dogs in Kerman city, using the modified Knott’s test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and to identify risk factors associated with positive test outcomes. Blood samples from 90 dogs (80 stray and 10 domestic) were subjected to hematological examination, modified Knott’s test, and PCR analysis. Based on the results of the modified Knott’s test and PCR, 7 stray dogs (7.77%) and 10 stray dogs (11.1%) were diagnosed as infected, respectively. PCR analysis revealed statistically significant associations between dirofilariasis and two clinical factors-sex and neutering status-both of which were identified as risk factors (p < 0.05). Furthermore, none of the hematological parameters of dogs testing positive by the modified Knott’s test showed significant deviations from normal values (p ˂ 0.05). This study provided updated information on the prevalence of D. immitis infection among dogs in Kerman city. The findings confirmed that D. immitis is endemic in Kerman and represented a potential threat to human health and public safety. The present research may contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiological characteristics of D. immitis, thereby supporting future control strategies and the development of effective therapeutic and preventive measures.

Keywords

Dirofilaria immitis, Dogs, Hematology, Iran, Modified Knott&rsquo

s test

Subjects