Heartworm Antigen Test | Canine Heartworm Antigen Test |
Canine Heartworm Antigen Testproduct codes 9305 - 5 test 9315 - 15 test 9350 - 50 test
Canine Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a common infection of dogs and may infect other mammals. Infective larvae after a period of development in mosquitoes enter the dog's skin during the mosquito's blood meal. These larvae over a period of 5-7 months migrate through tissues to arrive in the lungs, heart, and associated vessels where they mature to adults. Male and female worms mate and produce offspring known as microfilaria which are picked up by more mosquitoes during blood meals to perpetuate the cycle. The Canine Heartworm Antigen Test utilizes gold particles attached to antibodies directed against surface proteins or antigens shed by adult heartworms into the host's bloodstream. The deposition and concentration of these gold particles at the test line (T) of the device indicates the prescence of antigens and in turn adult heartworms within the last 12 weeks.
|
