In the United States, 1 in 75 dogs and 1 in 150 cats test positive for heartworm antigen.
University researchers studying heartworm disease will share $200,000 in grants from drug maker Zoetis Inc.
The awards are intended to help improve understanding of the fundamentals of heartworm disease and explore potential novel interventions to help prevent it, Zoetis reported June 7.
“Heartworm disease is a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, particularly in dogs and cats,” said Debra Woods, Ph.D., research director and head of Parasitology Global Therapeutics Research at Zoetis. “New therapies are likely to be required as heartworm resistance to current therapies develops over time.”
The grant recipients are:
- Sean Forrester, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
- Guilherme G. Verocai, DVM, MSc, Ph.D., DACVM, director of the Parasitology Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.
- Mostafa Zamanian, Ph.D., and Lyric Bartholomay, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s department of pathobiological sciences.