In the News

The American Heartworm Society is the leading resource on heartworm disease, and our mission is to lead the veterinary profession and the public in the understanding of this serious disease. Every year, hundreds of stories are written on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heartworm, as well as on the plight of affected pets. These stories are an important way of reaching both veterinary professionals and pet owners with information they need to know about heartworm disease.

The American Heartworm Society is led by a board of directors comprised of veterinarians and specialists in the fields of veterinary parasitology and internalmedicine. As leaders in the fight against heartworm disease, they are available as resources and authors of related stories.

Members of the media are encouraged to contact the American Heartworm Society for information, visuals and interviews about heartworm disease. Please contact Sue O’Brien at Obriensuek@gmail.com. This email is for media inquiries only. All other inquiries, please email: info@heartwormsociety.org.

News & Alerts

The State of Heartworm Incidence in the U.S.

The 2019 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey shows that heartworms maintain a stubborn hold in the United States.

Chris DukeDVM

Doug CarithersDVM

Changes in weather patterns. Lapses in preventive medication compliance. Pet relocation. These factors and more were cited in a recent survey of U.S. veterinarians as factors contributing to the rise and fall of heartworm incidence in their practice areas.

To help veterinary professionals, shelter personnel, and pet owners understand heartworm trends in their areas, the American Heartworm Society (AHS) began tracking U.S. heartworm incidence in January 2002. Since then, the AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey has been conducted every 3 years, using heartworm testing data submitted by veterinary practices, reference laboratories, and animal shelters. Following the analysis of survey results, a U.S. heartworm incidence map is generated to provide a visual representation of the spread and severity of heartworm infections.

04 November 2020

Revert Back to Pre-Pandemic Heartworm Practices

As practices resume routine wellness checks, veterinarians should ensure patients are protected from parasites, AHS says

While the COVID pandemic is not yet over, for veterinarians, it continues to be “business as usual” for heartworm prevention.

29 October 2020

5 Fall Tips for Protecting your Pet’s Health

(BPT) - Whether fall is when you switch out your exercise regimen or schedule your annual flu shot, staying healthy is at the top of most “to do” lists right now. Just remember your four-legged family members when considering seasonal changes to your wellness program. Fall is the perfect time to take steps to keep pets healthy, too.

17 September 2020

No State is Heartworm Free

An American Heartworm Society survey of approximately 6,000 veterinary practices and shelters determined that heartworm disease continues to be diagnosed in all 50 states.

24 July 2020

Managing heartworm during the COVID-19 pandemic

Heartworm management is a cornerstone of pet health care, but the need to reduce the risk of the COVID-19 virus has triggered questions from veterinarians. The American Heartworm Society has released recommendations to help.

23 July 2020

How do pets get heartworms?

Heartworm disease is a devastating disease that starts with a single mosquito bite. Learn how pets get heartworms—and how heartworms can be prevented.

22 July 2020

Preventing, diagnosing and treating heartworms

The American Heartworm Society is the veterinary profession’s leading resource on heartworm information. Our guidelines for heartworm management in dogs and cats incorporate the latest science and expert recommendations.

21 July 2020

Heartworm prevalent in South, expanding in other hot spots

By Greg Cima

Heartworm disease became more common in hot spots across the U.S. and remained prevalent in the Southeast, Gulf Coast, and lower Mississippi Valley.

Dr. Chris Duke, president of the American Heartworm Society, said the organization’s 2019 survey showed rising numbers of infections with Dirofilaria immitis in Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Minneapolis, as well as in smaller cities such as Durant, Oklahoma, and Redding, California.

08 July 2020

Prevention Amid Uncertainty

Veterinarians are concerned that the limitations of COVD-19 has placed on veterinary services could lead to a decline in preventive health care for pets by Graham Garrison

Pandemic or no, now is not the time for the veterinary community to take its collective eye off the importance of heartworm prevention. That was the message of the American Heartworm Society (AHS) this spring as it announced the results of the 2019 AHS Heartworm Incidence Survey and unveiled a new incidence map drawn from the data of nearly 6,000 U.S. veterinary practices and shelters last year.

01 July 2020

Laying the groundwork for a canine heartworm vaccine

U.K. researchers are looking to determine whether the proteins that allow filarial parasites to establish infections will have similar protective effects in dogs.

Prevention has always been key to fighting heartworm disease in dogs, but few preventive drug options are available and resistance to available medications continues to grow. But a new study by Morris Animal Foundation–funded researchers at the University of Liverpool may unlock the solution veterinarians and pet owners need.

19 June 2020