'Transmission Tracker - Dirofilaria'- a public dashboard to assess in real-time the temperature-bounded transmissibility of canine heartworm across Australia.
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(Published version)
Date
2024
Authors
Atkinson, P.J.
Stevenson, M.
O'Handley, R.
Nielsen, T.
Caraguel, C.
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Journal article
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Australian Veterinary Journal, 2024; 102(12):626-629
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PJ Atkinson, M Stevenson, R O'Handley, T Nielsen and C Caraguel
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Abstract
The causative agent of canine heartworm disease, Dirofilaria immitis, requires specific temperature conditions to mature within its mosquito vector, and therefore (re-)infect a canid host. Suitable temperature conditions are not continuously met for locations where most (>97%) Australians and their pet dogs live. The length of the disruption in the transmissibility of D. immitis varies greatly across Australia, and to some degree, between years. We developed an online dashboard ‘Transmission Tracker – Dirofilaria’ that processes near real-time temperature records across Australia and allows users to enquire about historical and current weather suitability for canine heartworm transmission at any Australian postcode of their interest. This information allows veterinarians to access when, and for how long, heartworm may be transmitted at a specific location, assess the associated risk of infection and advise on a patient-dependent dirofilariosis prevention plan for their canine patients and guardians. Our dashboard is publicly accessible at: https://heartworm-mapping.adelaide.edu.au/shiny/.
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© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made