• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.369-375
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• 2009

This study was attempted to survey the prevalence of heartworm infection among 253 dogs (male 167, female 86) on the 16 breeding farms in southern Gyeongnam area in May to December 2007. The results obtained from this experiment were summarized as follows; Fifty seven (22.5%) of the 253 examined dogs were heartworms-antigen positive, while twenty five dogs were Microfilaria positive by the modified Knott's method. The regional infection rates were of 25% in Tongyeong and 21% in Goseong, and on the breeding environment aspects, infection rates were lower in rural area than urban area farms. The infection rates were higher in female (26/86, 30.2%) than male dog (31/167, 18.6%). The infection rates by breeding size of farms were 31% (11/35) at <20 head, 26%(35/135) at 20~50 head and 13% (11/82) at >50 head. The infection rates of heartworm in examined dogs at the age of <2, 2~4 and >5 were 10.7% (8/75), 26% (40/154) and 37.5% (9/24), respectively. In the microfillaria-infected 25 dogs, identified Dirofilaria immitis of 21 (84%) using PCR. The dogs infected with heartworm showed the increased number of eosinophil.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 1999

The prevalence of canine heartworm(Dirofilaria immitis) infection in 150 mixed-breed dogs(male : 54, female : 96) from February to December 1997 was investigated by using antigen test kit(ICT $GOLD^{TM}$ HW, Synbiotics, USA) based on immunochromatographic assay in Inchon city. Also, gross and histopathological findings of an antigen positive dog were carried out. The results were summarized as follows ; 1. Four dogs were positive from 150 tested dogs(2.7%). They were all more than 2 years old and infection rates in male and outdoor dogs was higher than those in female and indoor, respectively. Species of infected dogs were Pug(2) , German Sheperd(1) and Great-dane (1). 2. Regional infection rates were closely related with housing system in the city. 3. Pathological findings of antigen-positive dog was excessive enlargement, congestion and hemorrhage of lung and D immitis in heart and histologically hemosiderin, hypertrophy of pulmonary alveoli wall and irregular hypertrophy of pulmonary artery inner wall. Microfilaria was observed in pulmonary artery and arteriole, ventricle and splenic artery.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.297-303
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• 2001

A female pug was presented with severe anemia, dyspnea and hemoglobinuria. By B- and M-mode echocardiography, the large number of heartworm were founded in the right ventricle, right atrium and pulmonary artery. The heartworm mass was moved from the right ventricle to the right atrium with the motion of the tricuspid value. Paradoxic septum motion were visible in M-mode of left ventrcular outflow tract and chordae tendineae level short-axis view. Flattened interventricular septum was find in B-mode of papillary muscle level short-axis view. In autopsy, 81 adult heartworms and 7 filarial debris were found. Most of adult heartworm were found in the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. 3 of them were found in the venaca and right atrium, respectively.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.78-81
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• 2001

A 12-year old female Pointer was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University for evaluation of emaciation. The owner had noted a dysuria and dyschesia 2 months before admitting to the hospital. The patient showed anorexia, depression and mild anemia. Radiographic findings indicated the mass below the urinary bladder, which pushed the intestine up to the spine. The patient was necropsied and grossly, two large masses were found on the heart and cranial thorax. Congestive nodules of 0.5-1.5 cm in diameter were scattered on both sides of the lungs. The left ventricular wall was hypertrophied and adult heartworms were found in right atrium. A large mass, filled with blood, 9-10 cm in diameter, originated from the rectum, compressed urethra. The gall bladder was filled with bile juice and the spleen was mild atrophied. The cortex of the kidney and the intestine were congested. On microscopic observation, there were neoplastic cells forming irregular vascular channels in the lung, kidney and heart. The vascular channels contain variable amount of blood. In the lung, the cells were almost elongated and the nuclei of neoplastic cells were round or ovoid and hyperchromatized. Based on the observation, the case was diagnosed as a hemangiosarcoma.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 2013

Caval syndrome is a life threatening condition caused by heavy worm burden in right cardiac chambers including right atrium, right ventricle, and vena cava and results in mechanical interference in tricuspid valvular excursion and blood flow to lower pulmonary arteries. A mechanical worm removal is the choice of option for treating this condition in dogs. In this study, we developed a new mechanical worm removal method using modified extraction brushes for treating dogs with caval syndrome. With this newly developed method, we successfully removed heartworms in two dogs with caval syndrome. Although the number of cases applied was small, authors found this method can be a good alternative retrieval method for mechanical worm removal in dogs.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.412-416
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• 2014

A 7-year-old intact male Pitbull terrier dog was presented with complaints of marked abdominal distension and severe exercise intolerance. Diagnostic studies found a right-sided cardiomegaly with marked dilation of pulmonary arteries, diffuse interstitial pulmonary infiltration and heavy worm burden in the right atrium and ventricle. Color and spectral Doppler echocardiography also revealed tricuspid and pulmonic regurgitation indicating severe pulmonary hypertension. The 104 heartworms were removed by interventional extraction using a loop snare (Snare, Boston Scientific, USA) through external jugular vein. After heartworm removals, the clinical condition of this dog was remarkably improved. To author's best knowledge, this is the first case of interventional heartworm extraction using a loop snare in Korea.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.225-232
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• 1996

A survey of canine heartworm (nirofilaria inmitis) infections among German shepherds in five areas of South Korea was performed from October 1994 to August 1995 using a microfilarial test (modified Knott's test) and an antigen test (DiroCHEKⓑ Synbiotics, USA). The infection rate of 127 German shepherds (71 males and 56 females) was 10.2% (13/127) by the microfilarial test, but was 28.3% (36/127) by the antigen test, revealing that 24 of the 36 antigen-positive dogs were microfilaria-negative in the peripheral blood . All dogs that were microfilaria-positive were also antigen-positive. Three of the microfilaria-negative and antigen-positive dogs contained 4-15 adult heartworms in the heart and pulmonary arteries upon necropsy. The infection rate among German shepherds was the highest in Hoengsong-gun (Kangwon-do, 84.4%) , while those of Yechon-gun (Kyongsangbuk-do) and Chungwon-gun (Chungchongbuk-do) areas were 20.0% and 14.3%, respectively. None of the dogs in the Kimhae-shi (Kyongsangnam-do) and Kwangiu areas was heartworm positive. The infection rates of heartworm in dogs at the age of 1-3, 4-6. and 7-11 years were 6.3%, 21.4%, and 56.4%, respectively. Based on the fact that the antigen test is more accurate than the microfilarial test, this study strongly indicates that the prevalence rate of canine heartworm in Korea may be higher than previously reported (3.1-23.0%) which utilized microfilarial tests.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.21-26
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• 2014

Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. More sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. Applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for D. immitis infection. A filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) was initially identified by screening the assembled transcriptome of D. immitis (DiTCTP). A BLAST analysis suggested that the DiTCTP gene shared the highest similarity with TCTP from Loa loa at protein level (97%). A histidine-tagged recombinant DiTCTP protein (rDiTCTP) of 40 kDa expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed immunoreactivity with serum from a dog experimentally infected with heartworms. Localization studies illustrated the ubiquitous presence of rDiTCTP protein in the lateral hypodermal chords, dorsal hypodermal chord, muscle, intestine, and uterus in female adult worms. Further studies on D. immitis-derived TCTP are warranted to assess whether this filarial protein could be used for a diagnostic purpose.