Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is Rickettsia parkeri infection in dogs in southern Brazil
By Saito, Taís B et al.·Published in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2008·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Canine infection by rickettsiae and ehrlichiae in southern Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 389 dogs in southern Brazil was tested for infections caused by Rickettsia and Ehrlichia bacteria. About 42% of the dogs showed signs of exposure to at least one type of Rickettsia, with Rickettsia parkeri being the most common. Dogs that spent time in pastures or forests were more likely to test positive for these infections. However, only a small number of dogs showed signs of infection with Ehrlichia canis. The study highlights the importance of monitoring dogs in areas where they may come into contact with these bacteria.
People also search for: dog infection Rickettsia symptoms · Ehrlichia canis treatment for dogs · why is my dog sick after being outside
Abstract
This study evaluated the infection caused by Rickettsia and Ehrlichia agents among dogs in southern Brazil. A total of 389 dogs were tested by the indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommii, Rickettsia rhipicephali, Rickettsia bellii, and Ehrlichia canis. Overall, 42.4% (165/389) of the dogs were seroreactive to at least one Rickettsia species, but only 11 canine sera reacted with another Rickettsia species without reacting with R. parkeri. A total of 100 (25.7%) canine sera showed titers to R. parkeri at least 4-fold higher than those to any of the other rickettsial antigens, allowing us to consider that these dogs were infected by R. parkeri. Dogs that had direct contact with pasture or forest areas were > 2 times more likely to be seroreactive to Rickettsia than dogs with no such direct contact. Only 19 (4.8%) of the 389 dogs were seroreactive to E. canis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18606772/