In a shelter survey of 100 dogs, if 10 have heartworm, what is the prevalence?

To determine the prevalence of heartworm in the surveyed population of dogs, you need to calculate the proportion of dogs that have the disease relative to the total number of dogs surveyed. Prevalence is expressed as a percentage and is calculated using the formula:

Prevalence = (Number of affected individuals / Total number of individuals) × 100

In this case, there are 10 dogs with heartworm out of a total of 100 dogs surveyed. Plugging the numbers into the formula gives:

Prevalence = (10 / 100) × 100 = 10%

This means that 10% of the surveyed dog population is affected by heartworm, confirming that the correct answer is indeed 10%. This percentage provides important information for understanding the extent of heartworm infection in the shelter population and can aid in making decisions regarding treatment and preventive strategies.