Publication

Abstract : The present study was envisaged to determine the prevalence of Brugia malayi in dogs in lymphatic filariosis endemic areas of Kerala. A total of 300 samples, consisting of 100 dog blood samples each from the endemic areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts were screened. Out of 300 dogs screened by wet film technique, 56 (18.67 per cent) were positive for microfilariosis. Giemsa staining of blood smears revealed that 15 (five per cent) had sheathed microfilariae and 41 (13.67 per cent) had unsheathed microfilariae. All the samples found positive for sheathed microfilariae were subjected to histochemical differentiation for species identification. The occurrence of B. malayi in dog blood samples from Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur districts based on histochemical staining were one per cent, 1.33 per cent and 2.67 per cent, respectively. The overall occurrence of B. malayi was five per cent in the three districts. The present study confirmed the presence of B. malayi, a zoonotic pathogen, in dogs in Kerala.