My cat has Brugia. Is it heartworm, and what treatment is best?

Question

My cat was diagnosed with Brugia spp. Infection and the doctor started the treatment with Doxycycline dose 10mg/kg (vibravet) twice a day. He told me that my cat is infected with heartworm as the microfilariae of brugia is found in blood test (we did the heartworm ag, it was negative). But I am confused as I did some research and found that the heartworm is Dirofilaria immitis not brugia, are they the same thing? How would you treat a cat with this infection? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old

Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA · Accepted Answer

Brugia is a parasitic worm which has 'microfilaria' in the blood and the adult affects the lymphatic system causing swelling under the skin (cats, humans and primates; spread by mosquitoes, mostly in south east Asia). It is a very different species to Dirofilaria, (which affects the blood and circulation) although it has a similar lifecycle through mosquitoes and developing microfilaria in blood. Depending on your location, travel history and local disease risks - confirmatory testing is a lab specialising in identification of parasites may be worthwhile

My cat has Brugia. Is it heartworm, and what treatment is best?

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