{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,7]],"date-time":"2026-02-07T00:03:53Z","timestamp":1770422633954,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]],"date-time":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1711497600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Canine filariosis is caused by filiform nematodes and affects several species of animals as well as humans. The disease produces a wide range of symptoms that can often be confused with other diseases, which increases the complexity of its diagnosis. The search for methodologies to facilitate its diagnosis is a challenge, and specific and differential identification of the parasite species causing the disease holds key to a successful diagnosis. In Colombia, there is a problem of underdiagnosis of filariosis in microfilaremic dogs infected by <jats:italic>Dirofilaria immitis<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Acanthocheilonema reconditum<\/jats:italic>, and of microfilaremias not related to heartworm disease. The highest prevalences have been reported for <jats:italic>D. immitis<\/jats:italic> infections, although new cases of <jats:italic>A. reconditum<\/jats:italic> infections are beginning to appear. The aim of this study was to differentiate the microfilariae infections caused by <jats:italic>D. immitis<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>A. reconditum<\/jats:italic> by a morphological and molecular characterization of microfilariae so as to facilitate an accurate diagnosis of canine filariosis in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga (Colombia). For this purpose, 400 blood samples with anticoagulants were collected from the dogs and analyzed with the help of a commercial immunochromatography kit for the detection of <jats:italic>D. immitis<\/jats:italic> circulating antigen. The Woo, Knott, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were employed for determining the parasite count, morphological observation, and molecular identification of microfilariae present in the dogs respectively. The prevalence of microfilaremic dogs in Bucaramanga metropolitan area was 18.75% (75\/400). The prevalence of dogs that tested positive for <jats:italic>D. immitis<\/jats:italic> in the antigen and in PCR tests was 1.25% (5\/400) and 1% (4\/400), respectively. Furthermore, the PCR test revealed that 17.75% of the microfilaremic dogs tested positive for <jats:italic>A. reconditum<\/jats:italic> (71\/400) (first report in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga), with one animal co-infected by both species, and 0% for <jats:italic>D. repens<\/jats:italic> (0\/400). However, by morphological characterization, 4% of the microfilariae (3\/75) corresponded to <jats:italic>D. immitis<\/jats:italic>, 20% (15\/75) to <jats:italic>D. repens<\/jats:italic>, and 76% (57\/75) to <jats:italic>A. reconditum<\/jats:italic>. The use of molecular diagnostic methods such as PCR aids in the specific identification of the parasite, thus making it a more accurate method than the morphological characterization of microfilariae. The identification of the parasites by PCR helps improve the veterinary diagnosis of canine filariosis in Colombia, which would lead to the establishment of an appropriate treatment protocol for each species of filaria and also to the generation of reliable data to be used at the clinical and epidemiological levels.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2024.1368307","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]],"date-time":"2024-03-27T13:46:08Z","timestamp":1711547168000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Microfilaremic infection in canine filariosis in Colombia: a challenge in morphological and molecular diagnostics"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Mar\u00eda Victoria","family":"Esteban-Mendoza","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Victor Hern\u00e1n","family":"Arcila-Quiceno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Catalina","family":"R\u00edos Chac\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jeiczon Elim","family":"Jaimes Due\u00f1ez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marisol","family":"Tique Oviedo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alejandro","family":"D\u00edaz Bustos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda Fernanda","family":"Castellanos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rodrigo","family":"Morch\u00f3n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Georgi","author":"Bowman","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"Parasitolog\u00eda","author":"G\u00f3mez-Bautista","year":"2000"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"386","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-023-06007-5","article-title":"Cercopithifilaria spp. of dogs: little known but prevalent filarioids beneath the skin","volume":"16","author":"Bezerra-Santos","year":"2023","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2761","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-014-3931-8","article-title":"First report of Cercopithifilaria spp. in dogs from Eastern Europe with an overview of their geographic distribution in Europe","volume":"113","author":"Ionic\u0103","year":"2014","journal-title":"Parasitol Res"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-6-16","article-title":"Vector-borne helminths of dogs and humans in Europe","volume":"6","author":"Otranto","year":"2013","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref6","first-page":"876","volume-title":"Parasitolog\u00eda y enfermedades parasitarias de animales dom\u00e9sticos","author":"Quiroz","year":"1994"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1630","DOI":"10.14202\/vetworld.2019.1630-1643","article-title":"Vector-borne nematode diseases in pets and humans in the Mediterranean Basin: an update","volume":"12","author":"Tahir","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vet World."},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108995","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2019.108995","article-title":"The prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens in the Old World","volume":"280","author":"Genchi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"507","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.00012-12","article-title":"Human and animal dirofilariasis: the emergence of a zoonotic mosaic","volume":"25","author":"Sim\u00f3n","year":"2012","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Rev"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102070","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2020.102070","article-title":"Massive microfilaremia in a dog subclinically infected with Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides","volume":"76","author":"Mu\u00f1oz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Parasitol Int"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"501","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-020-04376-9","article-title":"False positive antigen test for Dirofilaria immitis after heat treatment of the blood sample in a microfilaremic dog infected with Acanthocheilonema dracunculoides","volume":"13","author":"Szatm\u00e1ri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0010213","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0010213","article-title":"Filarids (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) in wild carnivores and domestic dogs from the Brazilian Atlantic forest","volume":"16","author":"Figuer\u00eado Duarte Moraes","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"484","DOI":"10.5455\/javar.2023.j701","article-title":"Microfilariae infection by Acanthocheilonema reconditum and Dirofilaria immitis and their molecular detection in a dog with lymphoma: case report","volume":"10","author":"Lugo-Vargas","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Adv Vet Anim Res"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-018-3205-x","article-title":"Recent advances on Dirofilaria repens in dogs and humans in Europe","volume":"11","author":"Capelli","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100153","DOI":"10.1016\/j.onehlt.2020.100153","article-title":"The trends of human dirofilariasis in Croatia: yesterday-today-tomorrow","volume":"10","author":"Pupi\u0107-Bakra\u010d","year":"2020","journal-title":"One Health"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1042","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens11091042","article-title":"What has happened to heartworm disease in Europe in the last 10 years?","volume":"11","author":"Morch\u00f3n","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pathogens"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"288","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-6-288","article-title":"Dirofilariasis in the Americas: a more virulent Dirofilaria immitis?","volume":"6","author":"Dantas-Torres","year":"2013","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpddr.2021.03.004","article-title":"Heartworm disease - overview, intervention, and industry perspective","volume":"16","author":"Noack","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1434","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens11121434","article-title":"First report of Acanthocheilonema reconditum outbreak in canines with clinical signs of Anemia from southwestern Colombia","volume":"11","author":"Espinosa","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pathogens."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.30466\/vrf.2018.78930.2046","article-title":"A cross sectional study on Dirofilaria immitis and Acanthocheilonema reconditum in sheepdogs in a western region in Iran","volume":"11","author":"Hoseini","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vet Res Forum"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4017(01)00516-7","article-title":"Histochemical differentiation of Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens and Acantocheilonema dracunculoides microfilariae by stainin with a commercial kit","volume":"102","author":"Perib\u00e1\u00f1ez","year":"2001","journal-title":"Leucognost-sp Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102064","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cimid.2023.102064","article-title":"Dirofilaria immitis in pet dogs from the metropolitan area of the Colombian Caribbean","volume":"102","author":"Badillo-Viloria","year":"2023","journal-title":"Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7119","DOI":"10.21897\/rmvz.1524","article-title":"Prevalence of presentation of some zoonotic agents transmitted by canines and felines in Medell\u00edn","volume":"24","author":"Castrill\u00f3n-Salazar","year":"2018","journal-title":"Colombia Rev MVZ Cordoba"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2005.04.006","article-title":"Epidemiology of heartworm: what is happening in South America and Mexico?","volume":"133","author":"Labarthe","year":"2005","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.55460\/YYT5-90FP","article-title":"Surveillance for Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs from three cities in Colombia","volume":"14","author":"McCown","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Spec Oper Med"},{"key":"ref26","first-page":"100489","article-title":"Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in shelter dogs in Bucaramanga metropolitan area","volume":"22","author":"Mu\u00f1oz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Colombia Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1002\/vms3.673","article-title":"Current distribution of selected canine vector-borne diseases in domestic dogs from Barranquilla and Puerto Colombia, Atl\u00e1ntico","volume":"8","author":"Otalora","year":"2022","journal-title":"Colombia Vet Med Sci"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"488","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2020.00488","article-title":"Current situation of the presence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs and humans in Bucaramanga","volume":"7","author":"Esteban-Mendoza","year":"2020","journal-title":"Colombia Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2445","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-023-07926-z","article-title":"The first report of Dirofilaria repens infection in dogs from Colombia","volume":"122","author":"Ballesteros","year":"2023","journal-title":"Parasitol Res"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"94","DOI":"10.14202\/vetworld.2023.94-103","article-title":"First study on microscopic and molecular detection of Acanthocheilonema reconditum and Leishmania infantum coinfection in dogs in Southwest Colombia","volume":"16","author":"P\u00e9rez-Ram\u00edrez","year":"2023","journal-title":"Vet World"},{"key":"ref31","article-title":"Municipio de Bucaramanga","author":"Bucaramanga","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref32","author":"Spark","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref33","article-title":"Clasificaci\u00f3n socioecon\u00f3mica Colombia","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref34","article-title":"Animales censados en Bucaramanga","year":"2019"},{"key":"ref35","first-page":"828","article-title":"Demographic study of the population of dogs and cats domiciled in the southeastern sector of Bucaramanga","volume":"30","author":"Florez","year":"2019","journal-title":"Colombia Rev investig Vet Per\u00fa"},{"key":"ref36","article-title":"Preguntas Frecuentes Estratificaci\u00f3n","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"921","DOI":"10.1139\/z69-150","article-title":"The Haematocrit Centrifugue for the detection of trypanosomes in blood","volume":"47","author":"Woo","year":"1969","journal-title":"Can J Zool"},{"key":"ref38","first-page":"537","article-title":"Combination of filtration and histochemical stain for detection and differentiation of Dirofilaria immitis and Dipetalonema reconditum in the dog","volume":"42","author":"Acevedo","year":"1991","journal-title":"Am J Vet Res"},{"key":"ref39","article-title":"Prevention, diagnosis and Management of Dirofilaria Infection in dogs","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref40","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"160","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2010.04.027","article-title":"Highly sensitive multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection and discrimination of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in canine peripheral blood","volume":"172","author":"Gioia","year":"2010","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"W5","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkn201","article-title":"NCBI BLAST: a better web interface","volume":"36","author":"Johnson","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nucleic Acids Res"},{"key":"ref43","first-page":"413","volume-title":"Textbook of clinical parasitology in dogs andcats","author":"Beugnet","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"368","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2006.06.006","article-title":"A simple molecular method for discriminating common filarial nematodes of dogs (Canis familiaris)","volume":"141","author":"Casiraghi","year":"2006","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref45","first-page":"153","article-title":"Comparaci\u00f3n de las pruebas quantitative buffy coat, frotis grueso de sangre y observaci\u00f3n directa para el diagn\u00f3stico de la infecci\u00f3n por Dirofilaria immitis en perros de tres zonas geogr\u00e1ficas de M\u00e9xico","volume":"32","author":"Bautista","year":"2001","journal-title":"Veterinaria M\u00e9xico"},{"key":"ref46","first-page":"1","article-title":"Dirofilariosis","volume-title":"Dirofilariasis. Pautas de manejo cl\u00ednico","author":"Montoya-Alonso","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref47","first-page":"91","article-title":"Dirofilariasis canina y otras parasitosis filariales Incidencia, diagn\u00f3stico, tratamiento y prevenci\u00f3n","volume":"10","author":"Rodr\u00edguez Garc\u00eda","year":"1990","journal-title":"Cl\u00ednica Veterinaria de Peque\u00f1os Animales"},{"key":"ref48","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e017219","DOI":"10.1590\/s1984-29612020009","article-title":"Detection of Dirofilaria immitis using microscopic, serological and molecular techniques among dogs in Cabo Frio, RJ, Brazil","volume":"29","author":"Trancoso","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev Bras Parasitol Vet"},{"key":"ref49","article-title":"Guideline for the laboratory diagnosis of canine and feline Dirofilaria infections","volume-title":"Mappe Parassitologighe 8, Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in dog and cat and human infection","author":"Genchi","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"248","DOI":"10.4067\/S0716-10182012000300006","article-title":"Identificaci\u00f3n morfol\u00f3gica y molecular de filar\u00edas caninas en una comuna semi-rural de la Regi\u00f3n Metropolitana, Chile [Morphological and molecular identification of canine filariae in a semi-rural district of the Metropolitan Region in Chile]","volume":"29","author":"L\u00f3pez","year":"2012","journal-title":"Rev Chilena Infectol"},{"key":"ref51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108975","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2019.108975","article-title":"Acetic acid as an alternative reagent in the modified Knott test","volume":"276","author":"Evans","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1400","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10111400","article-title":"Identity of microfilariae circulating in dogs from Western and South-Western Romania in the last decade","volume":"10","author":"Giubega","year":"2021","journal-title":"Pathogens"},{"key":"ref53","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2011.05.043","article-title":"Morphological and molecular data on the dermal microfilariae of a species of Cercopithifilaria from a dog in Sicily","volume":"182","author":"Otranto","year":"2011","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref54","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"170","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-0783-8","article-title":"Detection of Dirofilaria immitis and other arthropod-borne filarioids by an HRM real-time qPCR, blood-concentrating techniques and a serological assay in dogs from Costa Rica","volume":"8","author":"Rojas","year":"2015","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e000223","DOI":"10.29374\/2527-2179.bjvm000223","article-title":"Refrigerated modified Knott concentrate enables long-term morphological viability of canine blood microfilariae","volume":"45","author":"Zanfagnini","year":"2023","journal-title":"Braz J Vet Med"},{"key":"ref56","first-page":"623","article-title":"Proceedings of 6th European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days: Belgrade, Serbia","volume":"11","author":"Genchi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref57","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"900371","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2022.900371","article-title":"Seroprevalence of feline heartworm in Spain: completing the epidemiological puzzle of a neglected disease in the cat","volume":"9","author":"Montoya-Alonso","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2015.04.009","article-title":"Filarial infections in domestic dogs in Lusaka","volume":"210","author":"Siwila","year":"2015","journal-title":"Zambia Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100029","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vpoa.2020.100029","article-title":"New insights into the biology, diagnosis and immune response to Dirofilaria repens in the canine host","author":"Ciuca","year":"2020","journal-title":"Vet Parasitol"},{"key":"ref60","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182011002198","article-title":"New insights into the ecology and biology of Acanthocheilonema reconditum (Grassi, 1889) causing canine subcutaneous filariasis","volume":"139","author":"Brianti","year":"2012","journal-title":"Parasitology"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1368307\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]],"date-time":"2024-03-27T13:46:21Z","timestamp":1711547181000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1368307\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]]},"references-count":60,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2024.1368307"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1368307","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,27]]},"article-number":"1368307"}}