Case Study 1: Heartworm Testing In a Dog
Megan Yarmeak
September 13, 2014

1. Heartworm is a disease that can lead to heart failure in dogs. An infected mosquito spreads the way heartworm.
2. Yes, heartworm can be prevented by using regular heartworm preventive medication.
3. Yes, a human can get heartworm, the only way for your dog and cat to get heartworm is transmitted from an infected mosquito, not from Bubba.
4. A snap test is also called ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test, it uses a sample of whole blood, you place it into the well and then snap it, and the results are automatic. It however does not detect the microfilariae but it detects how the body is responding to it.
5. The type of collection tube I could place the whole blood in is purple or lavender because it contains anticoagulant, so the blood will not clot.
6. The test box that has not been opened yet should be used instead of the expired one because you want the results to be as new as or better than if, you were using the expired one.
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There could have been an error so you could just retest it just to be sure.
8. There is no possible way for Bubba to be infected without a mosquito around so he might have had heartworm before it was winter but showed no signs of it. Mosquitos are a huge part of the cycle because an infected mosquito carries the disease and the mosquito helps mature the microfilariae.
9. For the direct blood smear, all that needs to be done is taking a drop of blood and putting it on to a microscope slide and then cover it with a coverslip. Then, just examine the live microfilariae on low power, to slow them down place a drop of ten percent formalin at the edge of the coverslip.
10. First, you fill the hematocrit tube with whole blood, and then centrifuge it for a minute. Once the centrifuge is done, break the tube at the half point and then dab the contents of the Buffy coat onto a microscope slide. Place the coverslip on and then examine the microfilariae on low