Diagnostics of dog dirofilariosis and epizootic situation in Kharkov region of Ukraine

Since September 2018 till February 2019 complex clinical laboratory research of 86 pure breed and 26 mongrel dogs (total112) at the ages from 1 to 14 of Kharkiv and its outskirts has been conducted in both private veterinary clinic “Doverie” (Kharkiv) and scientific laboratory of parasitology department of Kharkiv State Zooveterinary Academy. The purpose of research was to study the dirofilariosis spreading among dogs in Kharkiv and its outskirts. Investigation of dirofilariosis via blood test in dogs was done by Knott method (1939). The results of investigation were compared with Lateral flow immunoassay. Positive results of analysis had been smeared and dyed by Romanovsky-Gimze method. We have found out 24 dirofilariosis infested animals that made up 21.4% from examined amount. Microdirofilaria was found more frequently in blood of pure breed animals (54.2%) than mongrel ones (45.8%). But in case of general amount of taken animals in clinic, we can notice than out of 86 pure breed examined animals only 13 or 15.1% of dogs are infested by dirofilariosis, out of 26 mongrels – marked only 11 (42.3%). Among pure breed infested animals, the most susceptible was Central Asian Shepherd Dog (4 cases). Both German Shepherd and Russian Spaniel had two cases of diseases. The most dirofilariosis diseased ones were male dogs (66.7%), but females formed only third part (33.3%). Among 16 sick male dogs, only one was castrated, among 8 diseased female dogs – only one sterilized, that is 91.7% cases of fully sexual functional animals suffered from dirofilariosis. Dirofilariosis infested dogs were aged from 3 to 12. The most prevailed category of animals was aged from 4 to 9 (75%). It depends on dog weight; the most infested dogs were 12–20 kg (33.3%) and 21–30 kg (29.1%). Among dirofilariosis infested dogs, 41.7% were not undergone by insectoacaricide treatment, but 37.5% were regularly undergone by highly effective entomocide treatment. The most accurate from special laboratory methods was method of Lateral flow immunoassay (95.8%), 83.3% cases of diagnosed dirofilariosis were made by Knott method.