INFECTION DYNAMICS OF DYROFILARIOSIS IN DOGS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF THEIR KEEPING

For the period of 2000–2024, results of the studies of 4,378 blood samples from dogs living and serving in the South of Russia were analyzed. Of these, 2,469 blood samples were from apartment dogs, 1,264 from stray dogs, and 645 from service dogs. It was found that the infection prevalence in dogs was generally 21.0%, while the infection was 29.0% in service dogs, 14.6% in apartment dogs, and 18.6% in stray dogs for 2000 to 2008. In 2009–2016, there was a decrease by 19.5% in the infection prevalence in dogs in general. Over the period of 2017–2024, the proportion of infected dogs decreased generally to 13.6%, service dogs to 6.3%, and apartment dogs to 9.7%; and the infection prevalence in stray dogs increased by 28.0%. The infection rate in domestic dogs depends directly on the type of their keeping. Longterm observations show that the incidence of dirofilariasis has decreased by 4 times in service and apartment dogs over the past twenty years due to veterinary control measures, while it continues to grow in stray dogs, and it is currently 25.0% due to the lack of diagnostics or treatment of these animals.