Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

Volume: 55 Issue: 2

  • Open Access
  • Research Article

Prevalence of Brugia malayi in dogs in lymphatic filariosis endemic areas of Kerala

Sheelu N. Lakshmanan1*, C. Latha1, C. Sethulekshmi1, Binsy Mathew1, Bindu Lakshmanan2 and S. Aswathy3

1. Department of Veterinary Public Health College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651 Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Kerala, India

2. Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur-680 651 Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Kerala, India

3. Department of Community Medicine, Amritha Institute of Medical Science

*Corresponding author: [email protected], Ph. 9495047649

Year: 2024, Page: 262-268, Doi: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2024.55.2.262-268

Received: Dec. 30, 2022 Accepted: April 20, 2024 Published: June 30, 2024

Abstract

The present study was envisaged to determine the prevalence of Brugia malayi in dogs in lymphatic filariosis endemic areas of Kerala. A total of 300 samples, consisting of 100 dog blood samples each from the endemic areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts were screened. Out of 300 dogs screened by wet film technique, 56 (18.67 per cent) were positive for microfilariosis. Giemsa staining of blood smears revealed that 15 (five per cent) had sheathed microfilariae and 41 (13.67 per cent) had unsheathed microfilariae. All the samples found positive for sheathed microfilariae were subjected to histochemical differentiation for species identification. The occurrence of B. malayi in dog blood samples from Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts based on histochemical staining were one per cent, 1.33 per cent and 2.67 per cent, respectively. The overall occurrence of B. malayi was five per cent in the three districts. The present study confirmed the presence of B. malayi, a zoonotic pathogen, in dogs in Kerala.

Keywords: Brugia malayi, dog, histochemical staining

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Cite this article

Lakshmanan, S. N., Latha, C. Sethulekshmi, C., Binsy, M., Bindu, L. and Aswathy, S. 2024. Prevalence of Brugia malayi in dogs in lymphatic filariosis endemic areas of Kerala. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 55(2):262-268

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51966/jvas.2024.55.2.262-268

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