First molecular detection of Dirofilaria immitis (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) infection in dogs from Northern Algeria

In 2014 and 2015, a total of 209 dogs over one year of age of different breed and sex, living in Northern Algeria, were examined and blood samples were collected from each dog. The presence of D. immitis and D. repens in these samples was detected by real-time PCR followed by standard PCR and sequencing. Overall, the blood of 209 dogs from two departments was collected and only 3 (1.4%) of the blood samples were found positive for D. immitis DNA. Sequencing of the corresponding amplicon displayed a 99.8% identity to D. immitis, confirming the presence of this mosquito-borne nematode in Algeria. Furthermore, all tested samples were negative for D. repens.