Abstract:
Dirofilaria immitis (the canine heartworm) is widespread in the tropics, with prevalence surpassing 30% in high-risk
areas. In addition to the suitable climatic conditions that favour mosquito abundance and filarial larva development,
there is low compliance with the recommended year-round use of preventives in these transmission hotspots. This
represents a major concern, considering that melarsomine (first-line heartworm adulticide) is unavailable in several
tropical countries, resulting in the so-called slow-kill protocol being the only available adulticide treatment option. In
this article, the members of TroCCAP (Tropical Council for Companion Animal Parasites) review the current distribution
of heartworm in the tropics and the availability of melarsomine, and discuss alternatives for the management of
heartworm infections in dogs.
