ReviewParasites & vectors2013
Dirofilariosis in the Americas: a more virulent Dirofilaria immitis?
Review in Parasites & vectors, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 160 citations in OpenAlex.
- The prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Parasites & vectors · 2023Pooled it
- Geographical Distribution and Molecular Characterization ofAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Improved specificity of a probe-based real-time PCR for the detection of Dirofilaria immitis in canine blood.Parasites & vectors · 2026Article
- New World Ocular Dirofilariasis Caused by Dirofilaria repens Infection, United States.Emerging infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Article
- Application of COI-LAMP for Detection of Dirofilaria immitis with High Sensitivity and Specificity in Epidemiological Studies.Acta parasitologica · 2026Article
- Canine Cardiac and Cardiovascular Pathology: Four Major Life-Threatening Non-Degenerative, Non-Hereditary Conditions.Veterinary sciences · 2025Review
- Natural infection of filarioid nematodes in mosquitoes: An approach to neglected disease xenosurveillance and prevention in intercontinental human transit areas in Darién.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Complementing community science with xenomonitoring: Understanding the eco-epidemiology of Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs and mosquitoes.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Rapid Subcutaneous Migration of Dirofilaria repens Nematode in Facial Tissue, Italy.Emerging infectious diseases · 2025Article
- New Insights into the Prevalence ofAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Pulmonary presentation and coil marcation of dirofilaria lung coin nodes - case report.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2025Article
- An indirect ELISA for the detection of antibodies against Dirofilaria spp. in cats.Parasites & vectors · 2025Article
- Prevalence and risk factors ofCurrent research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2025Article
- Microgeographical Variation inVeterinary sciences · 2024Article
- New distribution record, morphological and molecular characterization ofInternational journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2024Article
- DetectingPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- High serological and molecular prevalence of Ehrlichia canis and other vector-borne pathogens in dogs from Boa Vista Island, Cape Verde.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- The Distribution, Diversity, and Control of Dirofilariosis in Brazil: A Comprehensive Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Review
- Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Dirofilarioses are widespread diseases caused by filarioid nematodes (superfamily Filarioidea) of the genus Dirofilaria, which are transmitted by a plethora of mosquito species. The principal agent of canine dirofilariosis in the Americas is Dirofilaria immitis, which may also occasionally infest humans, resulting in pulmonary nodules that may be confounded with malignant lung tumours. Because human cases of dirofilariosis by D. immitis are relatively frequent in the Americas and rare in Europe and other eastern countries, where Dirofilaria repens is the main causative agent, the existence of a more virulent strain of D. immitis in the Americas has been speculated. Recently, a case of human ocular infestation by Dirofilaria sp. was diagnosed in Pará State, northern Brazil, where canine heartworm dirofilariosis is endemic. The nematode was shown to be morphologically and phylogenetically related to D. immitis but it was genetically distinct from reference sequences, including those of D. immitis infesting dogs in the same geographical area. This finding raised questions regarding the aetiology of human dirofilariosis in the Americas, since information on the genetic makeup of filarioids infesting dogs and humans is meagre. Further studies would be needed to better characterize filarioids infesting dogs, wild animals, and humans in the Americas and to assess the existence of a more virulent D. immitis strain in this continent. Finally, the competence of different culicid species/strains from Europe and the Americas as vectors of Dirofilaria species should be investigated. Such studies would help us to understand possible variations in transmission patterns and even to predict possible scenarios that may emerge in the future, with the introduction of non-endemic Dirofilaria species/strains in free areas through importation of infested animals, vectors, or both.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.