Macrocyclic lactone resistance in Dirofilaria immitis

Vet Parasitol. 2011 Sep 27;181(2-4):388-92. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.04.012. Epub 2011 Apr 16.

Abstract

Microfilariae were isolated from a Katrina rescue dog that remained microfilariaemic despite successful adulticidal treatments and repeated treatment with high doses of macrocyclic lactones (MLs). The microfilariae were genotyped at two P-glycoprotein single nucleotide polymorphic sites which had been found to correlate with reduced sensitivity to MLs. The genetic polymorphism (GG-GG), previously found to be associated with insensitivity to MLs in vitro, was present at a frequency of 45.3% in microfilariae that survived repeated treatments with high doses of ML anthelmintics. The data show phenotypic and genotypic evidence of ML resistance in Dirofilaria immitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anthelmintics / pharmacology*
  • Dirofilaria immitis / drug effects*
  • Dirofilaria immitis / genetics
  • Dirofilariasis / parasitology*
  • Dog Diseases / parasitology
  • Dogs
  • Drug Resistance / genetics*
  • Lactams, Macrocyclic / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Genetic

Substances

  • Anthelmintics
  • Lactams, Macrocyclic