First dection of the canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis in German mosquitoes  : FLI Press Release 11/2013

Insel Riems / Müncheberg, 19 September 2013. Scientists of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), Greifswald – Insel Riems, and of the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, have detected larvae of several mosquito-borne roundworm species in endemic mosquitoes, including for the first time the canine parasite Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), which is widespread in the Mediterranean area. This parasite can cause severe cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction in infected animals.