The American Heartworm Society (AHS) recommends heartworm antigen testing to screen dogs without clinical signs and verify suspected heartworm infections. While patient-side antigen tests provide a vital tool for the practice, a full understanding of their role in heartworm diagnosis is essential.
What does the heartworm antigen test for?
Antigen test: A test for heartworm antigen can detect proteins that are shed into the blood stream by an adult female worm; it takes about six months for a worm to reach this stage of maturity.
What type of test is most commonly used to detect heartworm?
For at least two decades the most commonly used diagnostic tests have been antigen tests. All currently available antigen tests (ELISA, Immunochromatographic and Hemagglutination) are designed to detect heartworm antigen circulating in the blood.
How long will it take a dog to test positive on an antigen test after heartworm exposure?
Antigen is detectable by 6½ to 7 months after infection and positive results may be obtained with as few as 1 to 3 adult females in the heart.
Can heartworm antigen test false positive?
Known causes of false positive heartworm antigen tests include infection with Spirocerca lupi, Angiostrongylus vasorum and A. odendhali, while related nematodes, such as other Dirofilaria spp., Dracunculus insignis and Onchocerca spp., are also thought to induce false positive results [49,50,51,52,53].
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