It is caused by foot-long worms (heartworms) that live in the heart, lungs and associated blood vessels of affected pets, causing severe lung disease, heart failure and damage to other organs in the body.
Where is heartworm in dogs most common?
In the United States, heartworm disease is most common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the Gulf of Mexico to New Jersey and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries, but it has been reported in dogs in all 50 states.
Where do heartworms for dogs come from?
Heartworms are transmitted from an infected animal to your healthy dog through mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito bites your dog, the mosquito can also pass on infective larvae. Over 6 to 7 months, these larvae develop into adult heartworms, causing severe health issues and potentially death.
What areas have heartworm?
The five states with the highest incidence of heartworm were Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Alabama. In Mississippi, almost 10% of dogs tested for heartworms were heartworm positive in 2019; in Louisiana, just under 8% of dogs tested were positive.
Are heartworms everywhere?
This is especially important, given that in the past several decades, heartworms have spread from highly endemic regions of the United States, such as the Southeast and Mississippi Delta regions, to states once considered “non-endemic,” including California and Arizona.
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