Overview
- An international team led by University of Sydney researchers sequenced 100+ Dirofilaria immitis genomes from dogs and wild canids across multiple continents.
- The study, published in Communications Biology, identifies distinct regional parasite populations shaped by ancient movements of wolves, dingoes and other canids.
- Findings challenge the assumption that heartworm spread mainly through recent human transport of domestic dogs.
- Australian heartworms show genetic links to Asian parasites, suggesting a possible dingo-era introduction, though a post‑colonial arrival cannot be ruled out.
- Authors say regional genetic differences can inform surveillance and responses to emerging resistance, and they call for broader sampling to refine timelines and origins.