The American Heartworm Society, or AHS, recently released the results of its latest three-year survey of canine heartworm disease.
Although the Gulf Coast and southeastern U.S. still have high case numbers, the updated AHS map shows that canine heartworm disease has expanded to new areas far from these epicenters.
Several reasons are cited for these trends. Populations of infected wildlife, like coyotes, are expanding into urban areas. In addition, dogs are being adopted from heartworm-established areas and relocated to lower-risk locales. Increased storm activity is also fueling subsequent spikes in mosquito numbers. Finally, families moving into high-risk regions may be bringing unprotected pets.
Just remember, canine heartworm disease is nearly always avoidable with the right preventative.