Canine heartworm diagnostic test system development and validation by polymerase chain reaction

УДК 619:636:574/577
DOI 10.33861/2071-8020-2025-4-38-40

Original Empirical Research

Mironova A.A., Vasilenko V.N., Mironova L.P.

Abstract. In practice, microscopic blood examination methods are most often used for the diagnosis of dirofilariasis, however, due to the influence of many subjective factors on their accuracy, they are classified as screening; IDEXX express tests allow detecting D. immitis antigen, but do not detect D. repens antigen. Further development of diagnostics in parasitology is based on the introduction of biotechnology, in particular, the PCR method, which has high specificity and sensitivity, technical simplicity, and therefore this method is applicable for routine diagnostic studies. There is a PCR diagnostic kit registered under code 092, which is used to detect the genetic material of D.immitis and D.repens, so the aim of this study was to develop a direct accelerated method for detecting the causative agent of the disease in the blood of dogs living in the Rostov Region, which was achieved by solving the following problem - to develop a set of reagents for PCR diagnostics of dirofilariasis and to compare the efficiency of the developed PCR test system with the modified Knott method and the immunochromatographic method (IDEXX rapid tests). As a result of the studies, it was established that 1) the infection rate of domestic dogs with D.immitis and D.repens dirofilariasis in Novocherkassk is 10%; in Rostov-on-Don - 3%; in Shakhty - 3% and in Taganrog - 2%; 2) the test system we developed for diagnosing dirofilariasis in dogs using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method can be introduced into the laboratory practice of veterinary clinics and laboratories of the Rostov region. It has high specificity, high sensitivity and allows identifying the causative agent of the disease within 4-5 hours from the start of the study.

Key words: dirofilariasis, diagnostics, methods, microscopic, immunochromatographic, PCR.

Author affiliation:

Vasilenko Vyacheslav N., D.Sc. in Agriculture, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; senior scientific researcher of the Federal Rostov Agricultural Research Center; 0, Rostov hghw., Novocherkassk, Rostov region, 346421.

Mironova Lyudmila P., D. Sc. in Veterinary Medicine, professor of the department of therapy and propaedeutics of the Don State Agrarian University; 24, Krivoshlykova st., Persianovsky sttl., Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region, 346493; e-mail: mironova_lp@mail.ru.

Responsible for correspondence with the editorial board: Mironova Anna A., D.Sc. in Veterinary Medicine, senior scientific researcher of the Federal Rostov Agricultural Research Center; 0, Rostov hghw., Novocherkassk, Rostov region, 346421; phone: 8-903-4718275; e-mail: aa_mironova@mail.ru.

Authors’ Contribution: the manuscript was written with the input of all authors. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

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