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What does heartworm antigen test detect?

【Expert answer】

Created: 2022-05-27 15:15:09

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There are two main tests for detecting heartworm infection; one test detects adult worms and the other detects microfilariae. Testing for Adult Worms: The American Heartworm Society recommends using the Heartworm Antigen Test as the primary method of testing for adult heartworm infection.


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.

How accurate is heartworm antigen test?

Depending on prevalence, the positive predictive value of the heartworm antigen test ranged from 15 to 54% and negative predictive value from 99 to 99.9%. For a hospital testing 1,000 dogs per year, false-positive test results may vary from 24 to 27 dogs.

What are heartworm antigens?

Circulating heartworm antigen appears in the blood as early as five months post-infection in a small percentage of dogs, but most dogs are not antigen positive until seven months post-infection. Yes, contrary to popular belief, a dog infected six months previously can be negative on an antigen test.

Does my dog need a heartworm antigen test?

In a word, yes. Heartworm testing is very important to the health of your dog. If your dog is heartworm positive and you put it on certain types of heartworm preventative, it could have detrimental effects, including death.

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