Occult heartworm infection, ie, infection with adult Dirofilaria immitis in the absence of circulating microfilariae, was detected in dogs with prepatent infection, unisexual heartworm infection, drug-induced sterility of adult heartworms, and an immune-mediated infection. In the immune-mediate occult infection, female heartworms contained microfilariae that were antigenically similar to circulating microfilariae but were in a privileged site inasmuch as the intrauterine microfilariae were not coated with circulating antimicrofilarial immunoglobulin G. Transplantation of these female worm into heart-worm-negative dogs resulted in microfilaremia.