Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rickettsia conorii infection found in dogs from Portugal
By Alexandre, Nuno et al.·Published in Ticks and tick-borne diseases·2011·Departamento de Zootecnia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Rickettsia conorii strains in Portuguese dogs (Canis familiaris).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Portugal showing signs of tick-borne illness was tested for a bacteria called Rickettsia conorii, which can cause spotted fever. Out of 51 sick dogs, 35 tested positive for antibodies against this bacteria, indicating they had been exposed. Additionally, 5 of these dogs were confirmed to be infected with R. conorii through further testing. The study also found that a significant number of healthy dogs in the area had antibodies, suggesting that this bacteria is common in the region. Treatment for the infected dogs typically involves antibiotics, which can help clear the infection.
People also search for: dog tick-borne illness symptoms · Rickettsia conorii treatment · Portuguese dog health issues
Abstract
This study reports a serological and molecular survey on the spotted fever group Rickettsia found in a group of 51 dogs with suspected tick-borne illness from the south of Portugal. Additionally, a prevalence of IgG antibodies to R. conorii was also estimated in a group of 400 healthy dogs from the same region. In the group of healthy dogs, the immunofluorescence test revealed that 154 (38.5%) of the 400 dogs had IgG antibodies reactive with R. conorii. The highest proportion of dogs (45%) with R. conorii antibodies was found in blood samples collected from October to December. Among the group suspected with tick-borne illness, 35 (62%) dogs showed to be seroreactive (IgG≥128) for antibodies against R. conorii, and the analysis of PCR-positive amplicons revealed that 5 dogs were infected with R. conorii Malish and 2 dogs were infected with R. conorii Israeli tick typhus strain. There was a higher prevalence of antibodies to R. conorii in the group of sick dogs, and the detection of R. conorii DNA in blood samples from this group points to their potential role as a reservoir and sentinel host helping to evaluate and characterize the distribution of circulating rickettsial strains.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21771547/