Dataset - Nagy et al., 2025 - Unusually low infection rate of Dirofilaria immitis in wild canids by the northern border of the Mediterranean climate zone in Hungary

Dataset for the manuscript Unusually low infection rate of Dirofilaria immitis in wild canids by the northern border of the Mediterranean climate zone in Hungary written by Eszter Nagy, Rebeka Ráhel Nagy, Ágnes Csivincsik, Tibor Halász, Sibusiso Moloi, Melinda Kovács, Gábor Nagy, Tamás Tari. The new version of the dataset was created due to the recommendations of the manuscript's reviewer, who requested a change in the colour of the Figures (rev_Figure1_Dirofilaria_immitis_study_site.png, rev_Figure2_Dirofilaria_immitis_EBSRATE.jpg, rev_Figure3_Dirofilaria_immitis_EBSRATE_DDI.jpg) An additional cause of correction is that the numbering of the Figures must have also been corrected. For the finalisation of the manuscript, an additional co-author must have been involved (Melinda Kovács). Wildlife-originating zoonotic pathogens represent a special form of human-wildlife conflict. Disease spillover and spillback can cause health damage to both sides. Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is considered a climate-sensitive parasite due to the special environmental demands of its mosquito vectors. Most abundant wild canids, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), are frequently accused of being a natural reservoir for the parasite. This study investigated the heartworm infection rate in the populations of jackals (N=305) and foxes (N=361) by the northern border of the Mediterranean climate zone and, despite the suitable climatic conditions, found unusually low prevalence in both hosts (2.3% in jackals, 1.4% in foxes). Analysis of the spatial distribution of infection confirmed that temperature and local socioeconomic development influenced the disease occurrence significantly. Precipitation and land use did not show any impact on the epidemiology of canine heartworm in wild canids. These results suggested that wild carnivores are sentinels of D. immitis spilt over from the domestic cycle rather than vice versa. The dataset contains raw data of the investigated specimens, calculations of the linear regression model, and files of spatial analysis. The dataset also contains figures and a graphical abstract of the manuscript. A readme file helps readers interpret data.