title: Treatment of Dirofilaria repens microfilariaemia with a combination of doxycycline hyclate and ivermectin.
abstract: Dirofilaria repens is one of the most widespread mosquito-borne filarioid responsible for infestations in dogs, usually characterized by nodules and other skin lesions. Additionally, the zoonotic potential of this nematode is of public health concern, given that D. repens has been often associated to human dirofilariosis in the Old World. In the present study, the therapeutic efficacy against D. repens microfilariae of a protocol based on doxycycline hyclate (Ronaxan(®), Merial), 10mg/kg every day for 30 days, and ivermectin (Cardotek 30(®), Merial), 6 μg/kg every 15 days for 6 months, was preliminarily investigated in two naturally infested dogs. Blood samples were collected every 30 days during 6 months of treatment and examined by a Knott's modified test and a duplex real-time PCR. The results here presented indicate that this therapeutic protocol, applied monthly, could be effective for treating microfilariaemia in dogs affected by subcutaneous dirofilariosis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.forename: Rafael Antonio Nascimento
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brianti
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Annoscia
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bastelli
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004184:Dirofilariasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005369:Filaricides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007558:Italy; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005369:Filaricides; D007559:Ivermectin; D004318:Doxycycline
keywords: Dirofilaria repens; Dog; Doxycycline; Ivermectin; Microfilariaemia; Therapy