Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparing two tests for detecting dog tick diseases in Trinidad
By Ansarah Hosein et al.·Published in Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases·2025·School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago; Corresponding author., DE·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: A comparison of reverse line blot hybridization and IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test in detecting canine anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis in Trinidad
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Trinidad were tested for tick-borne infections called ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, which can cause serious health issues. The veterinarians used two different tests: the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test and a more advanced method called reverse line blot hybridization (RLB). The results showed that the two tests did not agree well with each other, meaning that relying on just one test might not give a complete picture of whether a dog is infected. This highlights the need for veterinarians to consider multiple testing methods when diagnosing these infections in dogs.
People also search for: dog tick-borne disease symptoms · ehrlichiosis treatment for dogs · anaplasmosis test accuracy in dogs
Abstract
Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are known to be among the most common tick-borne hemopathogens of dogs in Trinidad that are transmitted by ixodid ticks of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato species complex. These pathogens are commonly diagnosed in Trinidad based on clinical signs, laboratory tests and response to treatment. However, as these hemopathogens are often not observed on microscopic examination of blood smears, alternative methods to provide a definitive diagnosis are warranted. The IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test is used frequently by veterinarians in Trinidad to determine exposure status and inform decisions on whether a canine patient should be treated. This study investigated the use of the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) assay on samples obtained from 231 dogs in order to determine if there was an acceptable level of agreement between the two tests. The study showed poor agreement between the IDEXX SNAP 4Dx® test and RLB.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102517