Heartworm disease in dogs in the republic of Tatarstan

УДК 619:616.995.132.5
DOI 10.33861/2071-8020-2025-4-34-37

Original Empirical Research

Mukhammadieva A.S., Mukhammadiev Rish.S., Mukhammadiev Rin.S., Khusainova G.I., Khalikova K.F., Yamalova G.R., Khusainov I.T.

Abstract. While in the last century heartworm disease was observed only in the tropical, subtropical and temperate zones, it is now being detected in other regions of the world. Analysis of statistics of this disease of carnivorous animals indicates its inevitable and fairly rapid advance towards the north of Eurasia over the past 10-15 years, which is due to climate change on our planet. The work describes cases of detection of nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria in dogs in the Republic of Tatarstan. The material for the experiments was the corpses of four dogs of different breeds (German Shepherd, mixed breed, Caucasian Shepherd and mixed breed) kept in enclosures, aged from 3 to 7 years, who died between January 2022 and January 2023 in the Zelenodolsk and Arsk districts of the Republic of Tatarstan. According to the results of the pathological examinations of the dead dogs and the morphological analysis of the nematodes, two species of dirofilaria were identified, namely D. immitis and D. repens. The above-mentioned nematode species were morphologically characterized. The number of detected specimens of D. immitis per dog varied from 36 to 43, D. repens - from 21 to 37. In our studies, no significant differences in the ratio of females and males or the predominance of a particular sex of dirofilaria were found. It was shown that the death of three dogs occurred as a result of the cardiopulmonary form of dirofilariasis, and the last one - cardiac arrest, which was caused by chronic concomitant diseases complicated by parasitism of mature D. repens.

Keywords: nematodes, Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens, morphological indicators, dirofilariasis, cardiopulmonary and cutaneous forms, pathomorphological changes, dogs, Republic of Tatarstan.

Author affiliation:

Mukhammadiev Rishat S., Ph.D. in Biology, Senior Scientific Researcher of the Department of Virological and Ultrastructural Research of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-939-3728789; e-mail: tashir9891@mail.ru.

Mukhammadiev Rinat S., Ph.D. in Biology, Senior Scientific Researcher of the Department of Virological and Ultrastructural Research of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-987-4214127; e-mail: tanirtashir@mail.ru.

Khusainova Gulnara I., Ph.D. in Biology, Senior Scientific Researcher of the Department of Virological and Ultrastructural Research of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-917-2627283; e-mail: gulnarai13@yandex.ru.

Khalikova Kadriya F., Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine, Senior Scientific Researcher of the Department of Toxicology of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-962-5578329; e-mail: k.khalikova@mail.ru.

Yamalova Guzaliya R., graduate student, Scientific Researcher of the Department of Toxicology of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-937-5213082; e-mail: iamalova@mail.ru.

Khusainov Ilnur T., Scientific Researcher of the Department of Bacteriology of the Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2 st., Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-950-3131976; e-mail: ilnur7612@yandex.ru.

Responsible for correspondence with the editorial board: Mukhammadieva Alina S., Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine, Junior Researcher, Department of Virological and Ultrastructural Research, Federal Center for Toxicological, Radiation and Biological Safety; Nauchnyy gorodok-2, Kazan, 420075; phone: 8-917-2396095; e-mail: alinasakura_mail.ru@mail.ru.

Authors’ Contribution:

Mukhammadieva A.S.: conceptualization, writing - original draft preparation, investigation.

Mukhammadiev Rish.S.: conceptualization, supervision, writing -editing.

Khusainova G. I.: data curation.

Khalikova K. F.: formal analysis, visualization.

Yamalova G.R.: investigation, validation.

Khusainov I. T.: investigation.

Conflict of Interest Statement: the authors declare no conflict of interest.