Table 6 Average number of Dirofilaria immitis (JYD-34 strain) infected mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), average L3 load of mosquitoes used to infect dogs and average L3 potentially deposited on dogs

 Mosquitoes released (n/dog)

29.4 ± 3.5

32.1 ± 6.4

31.4 ± 5.3

29.3 ± 3.0

 L3 before feeding/mosquito

 (n dissected mosquitoes)

3.2

(24)

3.2

(28)

3.5

(24)

2.9

(20)

 L3 after feeding/fed mosquito

 (n dissected fed mosquitoes)

1.3

(12)

1.0

(1)

0.3

(12)

N/A*

N/A*

 Fed mosquitoes/dog

15 ± 5.8

0.1 ± 0.4

12.5 ± 5.7

0 ± 0

 L3 deposited/dog

33.4 ± 8.5

0.2 ± 0.6

31.0 ± 6.2

0 ± 0

 Mosquitoes released (n/dog)

21.5 ± 2.7

24.1 ± 4.1

25.4 ± 8.3

22.9 ± 2.9

 L3 before feeding/mosquito

 (n dissected mosquitoes)

5.4

(24)

4.7

(27)

3.7

(24)

4.6

(21)

 L3 after feeding/fed mosquito

 (n dissected fed mosquitoes)

1.0

(24)

0.3

(3)

0.7

(24)

0.3

(3)

 Fed mosquitoes/dog

11.5 ± 3.3

0.4 ± 1.1

12.6 ± 2.6

0.3 ± 0.5

 L3 deposited/dog

43.3 ± 12.5

1.3 ± 3.6

47.4 ± 9.1

0.9 ± 1.8

 Estimated total L3 deposited/dog

76 ± 11

2 ± 3

78 ± 14

1 ± 2