Is Your Area Infested with Heartworms?

There are parasites that endanger your pets lurking everywhere - from the leaping kind like ticks and fleas, to the flying ones like mosquitoes that may be carrying heartworm larvae. But there are areas that expose our pets to more danger than others.

In the case of heartworms, it is not a matter of whether your pet always stays indoors or loves to play outdoors because mosquitoes can invade either areas. The factors that increase the chances of your pet getting heartworm disease are the prevalence of mosquitoes in your area, the means that you use to avoid these insects from getting to your pet, and the preventive measures you give your pet to fight the infection.

There are several parts of the world - including the US, Canada, South America, Europe, the coastal areas of Africa, Asia and Australia - where heartworms are found. In the US, areas with higher incidences of heartworm infestation are the southeastern part of the country. According to a 2005 American Heartworm Society (AHS) survey, there were 250,000 dogs in the US that tested positive for heartworms. Below is a breakdown of heartworm cases in the different states for 2004, as sourced from Heartgard:

Idaho 6 Hawaii 584 Ohio 4,994
Alaska 8 Colorado 638 Michigan 5,209
Wyoming 13 Rhode Island 681 Illinois 5,724
North Dakota 31 Connecticut 702 Missouri 7,175
Montana 37 New Jersey 822 Arkansas 7,286
Nevada 43 Nebraska 1,016 Indiana 7,346
Washington 59 Pennsylvania 1,122 Tennessee 11,149
District of Columbia 65 Wisconsin 1,420 South Carolina 11,518
Vermont 74 Maryland 1,596 Mississippi 11,752
South Dakota 93 Iowa 1,766 Alabama 14,892
Utah 172 Massachusetts 1,807 Louisiana 16,830
Maine 227 Minnesota 2,472 Georgia 17,508
New Hampshire 235 New York 2,519 North Carolina 17,511
Delaware 408 Kansas 2,811 Florida 32,128
West Virginia 427 Oklahoma 2,830 Texas 42,003
Arizona 462 Kentucky 3,442
New Mexico 476 Virginia 4,344
Oregon 561 California 4,596

These figures do not mean that pets that reside in areas where there are few incidences of heartworm infection are already safe from being infected. It is still advisable to safeguard your pets because it takes only a bite from an infected mosquito to transfer the heartworm larvae. There are several effective precautionary measures against these parasites. A great way to protect your pets from heartworms is to use Interceptor� (Milbemycin oxime, orally) and Revolution� (Selemectin, topically). It will also be good for them if they undergo regular check-ups. Another protective measure to avoid your pet from getting the disease is to keep a clean environment to control the number of mosquitoes in your area.

Being familiar with the incidence rate of heartworm infection in a place lets you know the level of danger or risk your pets are exposed to. If you reside in an area with a high incident rate of heartworm infection, you should double your efforts to protect your pets. If you plan to travel with your pet to a place with a high incident rate consult your vet for the necessary precautions you can take. You wouldn’t want your pet to be caught unarmed against these parasites, would you?