Conference Agenda

Parasitic nematodes of the family Onchocercidae have co-evolved with vertebrate hosts for millions of years. Although morphology has traditionally underpinned species identification, many taxa are cryptic and difficult to distinguish, limiting accurate diagnosis. Clinically important genera include Dirofilaria, which causes heartworm disease in dogs and occasional zoonotic infections in humans. However, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of other Dirofilaria species and genotypes and their impacts on host health. This study aimed to generate a comprehensive morphological and molecular resource for a newly identified Dirofilaria species. Using long-read PacBio and Hi-C sequencing, we assembled and characterised both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. The nuclear genome comprises four autosomes and one sex-linked scaffold, encoding 9,658 genes. Comparative analyses with related filarial nematodes revealed conserved chromosomal structure alongside lineage-specific rearrangements. We identified 881 predicted excretory/secretory proteins enriched in immune-related pathways such as proteolysis, lysosomal function and antigen presentation. Notably, 26% of these proteins were unique, many associated with host–parasite interactions, immune evasion and metabolic adaptation. This genome fills a key gap in filarial resources and supports advances in epidemiology, host adaptation studies and diagnostic development.