Dirofilaria repens is the leading cause of subcutaneous (dogs) and subcutaneous/ocular dirofilariosis (humans) in the Old World. Despite its rapid geographical spread, driven by climate change, the emergence of new invasive vectors (Aedes albopictus) and growing interest in its study due to the emergence of new cases in areas previously free of the parasite, amongst other factors, scientific research into this pathogen remains limited. This study provides the first longitudinal bibliometric analysis of global research on D. repens (1955–2025). Data from Web of Science and Scopus were processed using PRISMA and RAMIBS protocols, resulting in a normalized corpus of 624 documents analyzed via science mapping techniques. The field exhibits a sustained annual growth rate of 3.79%, transitioning into an exponential expansion phase in 2011. While Italy retains historical leadership, spatial analysis confirms a research displacement towards Central and Eastern Europe (Germany, Poland). Thematic evolution reveals a structural shift from isolated clinical case reports to a multidisciplinary ecosystem dominated by molecular epidemiology, vector competence, and surveillance. Dirofilaria repens has gone from being a minor and neglected issue to having a significant number of reports and studies subject to interest in addressing the disease that results from its infection in different hosts. However, the intellectual structure exposes an operational fragmentation between clinical medicine and medical entomology. Future research must overcome national silos and integrate reservoir management with vector control, transforming the current reactive approach into a predictive preventive system aligned with the One Health framework.
Aguilar-Elena et al. (Fri,) studied this question.