Canid filariasis, known as Heartworm disease, is caused by a nematode named Dirofilaria immitis, which is located in the canid´s heart producing a cardiopulmonary disease and affecting others organs like liver and kidneys. Culex, Aedes and Anopheles female flies are the intermediary hosts. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of D. immitis in the San Juan de Lurigancho district, close to the Rímac river. Blood samples were taken from 107 dogs in apparently good health condition from May to June 2002. Animals were randomly chosen without regard of breed and sex, and were older than 6 months old. An enzimatic commercial ELISA test (Dirochek, Synbiotic®) was used. Six positive dogs were detected, representing a frequency of 5.5±4.7% with a 95% confidence interval. No differences due to sex and environment exposition were found. In conclusion, the frequency of diro...

La dirofilariosis canina, conocida también como “gusano del corazón”, es una parasitosis ocasionada por el nemátode Dirofilaria immitis. Se localiza en el corazón de los caninos ocasionando una enfermedad cardiopulmonar que repercute en el hígado y riñones. Los hospederos intermediarios son los mosquitos hembras del género Culex, Aedes y Anopheles. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la prevalencia de este parásito en los caninos del distrito de San Juan de Lurigancho (ribereño al río Rímac). Se tomaron al azar muestras de sangre de 107 perros, aparentemente sanos, mayores de 6 meses, sin distinción de raza o sexo, entre mayo a junio del 2002. Se utilizó para su diagnóstico la prueba enzimática de ELISA (Dirochek. Synbiotic®). Se hallaron 6 animales positivos, los cuales representan una frecuencia de 5.5±4.7%. No se encontraron diferencias debidas a sexo o tiempo de ...