Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick-borne diseases in dogs in Nepal and their blood effects
By Aryal, Somnath et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Faculty of Animal Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comprehensive study of ticks and tick-borne diseases in dogs in Nepal: molecular identification, risk analysis and hematological alterations.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Nepal were tested for tick-borne diseases after showing symptoms like anemia and low platelet counts. The study found that about 31% of the dogs had infections from pathogens such as Babesia, Ehrlichia, and Hepatozoon, which can cause serious health issues. The most common ticks found on these dogs were from the Rhipicephalus genus. The researchers emphasized the need for effective treatment and preventive measures to protect dogs from these diseases.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ticks are responsible for the transmission of various viral, bacterial, and protozoal pathogens through their mouthparts while feeding on the blood of the host. Owing to the increasing trend of tick-borne diseases, they are considered major emerging public health issues throughout the globe. In South Asia, the major important canine tick-borne pathogens are Babesia spp., Hepatozoon canis, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys, and Borrelia burgdorferi. Among various diagnostic tests, molecular techniques are considered the gold standard for the detection of tick-borne diseases. A total of 341 canine blood samples were collected from Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Chitwan, Nepal. The collected blood samples were subjected to hematological analysis, DNA extraction, and conventional polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of tick-borne pathogens. Additionally, a total of 219 ticks were collected from the sampled dogs and identified via morphometry. RESULTS: PCR assays revealed four tick-borne pathogens, Babesia spp., Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis, and Anaplasma platys, with prevalence rates of 26.09%, 5.87%, 3.52%, and 2.93%, respectively, and an overall prevalence of 31.09% (95% CI: 26.27-36.34%). However, this study could not identify the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi. During the hematological analysis, anemia and thrombocytopenia in the sampled dogs were significantly associated with the presence of Babesia spp. (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), lymphocytosis was significantly associated with Hepatozoon canis (p < 0.001), and thrombocytopenia was significantly associated with Ehrlichia canis (p < 0.05). Among the ticks infesting dogs at the study sites, the Rhipicephalus genus was the most prevalent, followed by Haemaphysalis and Dermacentor, with an overall tick infestation rate of 27.86%. Geographic location, type of dog (stray or pet), and body condition score were determined as potential risk factors by multiple logistic regression analysis (OR = 0.40, 2.16, 0.73; p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively) for the presence of canine tick-borne pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified at least four species of canine tick-borne pathogens and three genera in dogs from study area. Findings of this study highlights the importance of robust treatment, control and preventive measures to mitigate the transmission of these pathogens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40316956/