Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Exposure to Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Heartworm in Moroccan Dogs
By Elhamiani Khatat, Sarah et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2017·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Anaplasma spp. and Ehrlichia spp. anibodies, and Dirofilaria immitis antigens in dogs from seven locations of Morocco.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Morocco found that many dogs are exposed to harmful infections from ticks and mosquitoes. Out of 217 dogs tested, 83.9% had antibodies or antigens for diseases like Ehrlichia (a tick-borne illness) and Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm). The most common was Ehrlichia, found in about one-third of the dogs. This suggests that dogs in Morocco are at a high risk for these infections, especially in rural areas. Pet owners should be aware of these risks and discuss preventive measures with their veterinarian.
People also search for: dog tick disease symptoms · heartworm prevention for dogs · Ehrlichia treatment in dogs
Abstract
In Morocco no data has been published on canine exposure to Anaplasma spp., Borrrelia burgdorferi, and Ehrlichia spp., and only one report is available on the occurrence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to collect current data on the canine exposure to these vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) in Morocco. A total of 217 urban (n=57), rural (n=110) and military (n=50) dogs from seven Moroccan locations were screened for Anaplasma spp., B. burgdorferi and Ehrlichia spp. antibodies and for D. immitis antigens using a commercial in-clinic ELISA test. Of these dogs, 182 (83.9%) tested positive for at least one pathogen and positivity to two or three pathogens was found in 14.3% and 2.3% of the dogs, respectively. Ehrlichia spp. antibodies (34.6%) were the most frequently detected followed by Anaplasma spp. antibodies (16.6%) and D. immitis antigens (16.1%). None of the dogs was tested seropositive to B. burgdorferi. Statistically significant differences in seropositivity rates were found for Ehrlichia spp. and D. immitis in rural dogs especially those from the north central region (p<0.001) but not for Anaplasma spp. No significant difference was found according to the health status of the dog. This study demonstrates that Moroccan dogs are at high risk of acquiring a vector-borne infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28410950/