Developing Heartworm Diagnostics Towards Improved Understanding of Infection Risk and Disease Preparedness

心丝虫是一种人畜共患的蚊子传播的犬感染，由犬恶丝虫线虫引起。这种寄生虫导致狗的充血性心力衰竭，以及人类的肺/皮下恶丝虫病。由于可用药物的范围有限，以及次优诊断，控制恶丝虫病具有挑战性。该项目将通过将循环RNA/DNA/蛋白质生物标志物图谱与犬的关键感染阶段联系起来，开发直接促进我们的利益相关者（勃林格殷格翰动物健康公司）在心丝虫药物发现方面取得进展的工具，以及改善全球追踪这种人畜共患病的努力，从而促进诊断开发。它还将通过收集利益相关者对心丝虫感染的知识/经验的调查数据，以及在英国/爱尔兰对合格的病媒蚊子进行采样，建立对心丝虫环境驱动因素的基线了解。

Heartworm is a zoonotic, mosquito-borne infection of dogs, caused by the nematode Dirofilaria immitis. This parasite causes congestive heart failure in dogs, and pulmonary/subcutaneous dirofilariasis in humans. Dirofilariasis control is challenging due to a limited spectrum of available drugs, and sub-optimal diagnostics. This project will contribute to diagnostic development by linking circulating RNA/DNA/protein biomarker profiles to key infection stages in dogs, developing tools that will directly enhance our stakeholder's (Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health) progress in heartworm drug discovery, as well as improving global efforts to track this zoonotic disease. It will also build baseline understanding of environmental drivers of heartworm by collecting survey data on stakeholder knowledge/experience of heartworm infection, and sampling for competent vector mosquitos in UK/Ireland.