Dirofilariasis in dogs and cats is a helminthiasis caused by Dirofilaria immitis, a parasite transmitted by mosquito’s bites.

Principles: The Rapide - Dirofilaria Ag Test Kit is a chromatographic immunoassay for the qualitative detection of Dirofilaria immitis antigen in serum, plasma, or whole blood.

Test performance: Two large scale studies using 109 samples in the first and 174 in the second were conducted. The sensitivity was 96.4% and the specificity was 100% in the first study; the sensitivity was 94.4% and the specificity was 100% in the second study. In a multicentric field trial study conducted in the US, the sensitivity and specificity were found to be 100%. In a study conducted using samples obtained from animals for which adult male worms alone or mixed with adolescent worms, but without any adult female worms, were recovered at necropsy, the sensitivity was 100%.