AHS是由一群關心心絲蟲病的臨床獸醫師或學者所組成，旨在帶領獸醫師及大眾更了解心絲蟲病，透過專家的研究與討論，給予最新的疾病防治及治療的建議。每隔三年，協會就會聚集全世界的專家學者及獸醫師們，發表並討論關於心絲蟲病的最新研究結果，並將結論分享給大眾，這就是所謂的"現行犬貓心絲蟲感染症預防、診斷和治療準則"，任何人皆可免費下載並閱讀這個準則。 協會的終極目標是推動對心絲蟲病，有效的診斷、治療及預防方法

      2018 犬心絲蟲病預防、 診斷和治療準則中，有個地方非常值得我們注意。(原文連結: https://heartwormsociety.org/newsroom/in-the-news/511-american-heartworm-society-releases-2018-canine-heartworm-guidelines)

摘錄及重點翻譯:

      對於心絲蟲病預防的最新建議，美國心絲蟲協會準則認為除了定期給予心絲蟲預防藥之外，獸醫師也應該考慮使用由美國環境保護局核准的蚊蟲驅避劑，以控制病媒蚊並減少心絲蟲傳染的風險。

      使用蚊蟲驅避劑並不代表可以取代傳統的心絲蟲預防藥，而是對於病媒蚊及心絲蟲流行率較高的區域，提供必須的額外預防方法，也就是除了定期給予心絲蟲預防藥外，再搭配蚊蟲驅避劑。

"In an update to their prevention recommendations, the AHS Guidelines state that veterinarians should also consider the use of EPA-approved mosquito repellents/ectoparasiticides to control the mosquito vector and reduce heartworm transmission if the risk of heartworm transmission is high.

“The use of repellents is not a blanket recommendation, nor should repellents ever be used in place of ML preventives,” stresses Rehm. “In regions with relatively low heartworm incidence numbers and few mosquitoes, use of heartworm preventives alone can be sufficient to safeguard patients. Where mosquito proliferation and heartworm incidence numbers are high, however, additional measures may be warranted on either a year-round or seasonal basis. Individual veterinarians are in the best position to assess the risk for their practices as well as for individual patients."