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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Vector-borne infections found in dogs from Turkey by PCR testing

By Guo, Huanping et al.·Published in Acta parasitologica·2017·.·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: A PCR survey of vector-borne pathogens in different dog populations from Turkey.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A study in Turkey found that 28% of dogs tested had infections from various blood-borne pathogens, which can make them quite sick. Among the 192 dogs sampled, Mycoplasma was the most common infection, especially in kennel dogs, while Babesia and Hepatozoon were more frequently found in shepherd dogs. This research highlights the importance of monitoring these infections in different dog populations and suggests that pet owners should be aware of the risks of vector-borne diseases. The findings can help in developing better strategies for preventing and treating these infections in dogs.

People also search for: dog blood infection symptoms · Mycoplasma in dogs · Babesia treatment for dogs · vector-borne diseases in dogs · shepherd dog health issues

Abstract

In the present study, a total of 192 blood samples were collected from pet dogs, kennel dogs and shepherd dogs in Konya district, Turkey, and tested by specific PCR for the presence of vector-borne pathogens. Several pathogens were identified, most of which can cause substantial morbidity in dogs. PCR results revealed that 54 (28.1%) dogs were infected with one or more pathogens. Positive results were obtained for Babesia spp. in 4 dogs (2.1%), Hepatozoon spp. in 8 dogs (4.2%) and Mycoplasma spp. in 46 dogs (24%). Three dogs (1.6%) were infected with two or three pathogens. The sequence analysis of the positive DNA samples revealed the presence of Babesia canis vogeli, Hepatozoon canis, Hepatozoon sp. MF, Mycoplasma haemocanis and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum. Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys were not detected. Regardless of ownership status, vector-borne diseases were common in these dog populations. There was significant difference of pathogen prevalence among the different dog populations. Mycoplasma spp. was more frequent in the kennel dogs (31.9%) than in the pet (21.4%) and shepherd dogs (13.8%). Additionally, the frequency of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. was higher in the shepherd dogs which account for three quarters and half of the total number of Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp., respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Mycoplasma infection in dogs in Turkey. The results of the present study provide a foundation for understanding the epidemiology of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs), and for strategies to control these diseases in Turkey.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28682765/