Feline heartworm (HW) infection is an emerging issue in feline medicine. This is due in part to the recent development of improved serodiagnostic tests for cats, and to increased awareness associated with the promotion of chemopreventives licensed for cats. The actual incidence of feline HW infection may also be increasing, paralleling the spread of canine HW infection across the United States. Necropsy studies conducted on stray cats from animal shelters in heartworm endemic areas have found adultworms in the heart and lungs in 0-19 percent of cats. This undoubtedly represents the minimum infection rate of cats since many exposed cats fail to develop mature HW infections, and cats are more likely than dogs to have HW located in aberrant sites that would not be detected in routine dissections of the heart and lungs. The prevalence of feline heartworm infection is generally 5-20 percent of that found in the local dog population.
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