Molecular Characterization of Wolbachia Endosymbionts and Their Association With Canine Dirofilariasis in Colombo District, Sri Lanka
Neyon Loku Gamage, Koshila Ranasinghe, Wasana Rodrigo, Satabdi Datta Choudhury · 2026
Read Molecular Characterization of Wolbachia Endosymbionts and Their Association With Canine Dirofilariasis in Colombo District, Sri Lanka by Neyon Loku Gamage, Koshila Ranasinghe, Wasana Rodrigo, Satabdi Datta Choudhury (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13282681.txt.
Description
Neyon Loku Gamage and co-authors present a 2026 study of heartworm-type parasites in dogs in Colombo District, Sri Lanka, and the bacteria living inside them. The parasites, Dirofilaria, spread by mosquitoes and can also infect people. The bacteria, Wolbachia, help the parasites survive and breed, making them a control target. Blood was collected from three hundred sixty-eight dogs between May and December 2025.
Only thirty-five samples showed parasite larvae under the microscope. Gene tests confirmed Dirofilaria in eighteen of those, and Wolbachia in just three. Most identified parasites were one species, Dirofilaria repens, with a few of two others. One dog carried two species at once. Sequencing gave Sri Lanka's first molecular proof of the heartworm species Dirofilaria immitis there, and the first molecular detection of Wolbachia in these parasites in the country. The authors urge gene-based diagnosis and worm control aimed at the bacteria.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Neyon Loku Gamage, Koshila Ranasinghe, Wasana Rodrigo, Satabdi Datta Choudhury |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 48972 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |