Development of a novel rodent model for dog heartworm microfilaremia using the severe-combined immunodeficiency mouse
Abstract Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne parasitic nematode that causes fatal heartworm disease in canids.The microfilariae are essential for research, including drug screening and mosquito-parasite interactions.However, no reliable methods for maintaining microfilaria long-term are currently available.Therefore, we used severe combined imm