The progressive story of heartworm disease in the Roaring Fork Valley is profound. 20 years ago, the likelihood of an untreated canine contracting heartworm disease in Colorado was low, but we have seen a meteoric rise in the disease more recently due to several factors.
Changes in the population of mosquitoes (the heartworm vector): Mosquitoes have now evolved to bloom when temperatures are consistently 60 degrees or above for 3 days, which we see here in the Roaring Fork Valley any month of the year.
Rising heat indexes have allowed mosquitoes to easily incubate heartworm larvae. Infected mosquitoes are capable of hibernating during colder temperatures and then blooming with the disease still present in their systems, therefore able to immediately transmit the disease upon contact. Not only is the disease transferring from mosquitoes to local pets, but through robust animal placement organizations, many animals are being brought into Colorado from more heavily heartworm-burdened regions, often bringing heartworm with them.
Heartworm testing has become standard at our practice and many other local practices to provide the first line of defense against the spread of the disease. Prescribing consistent, year-round heartworm prevention medication promotes the community immunity we are striving to uphold.
We continually monitor current data and recognize trends within our local community.
*1700 new cases of heartworm-positive canine patients in Colorado were presented in 2023.