Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ehrlichia ewingii infection rates in dogs from Oklahoma and Arkansas
By Little, Susan E et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2010·Oklahoma State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ehrlichia ewingii infection and exposure rates in dogs from the southcentral United States.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs from northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas were tested for a tick-borne infection called Ehrlichia ewingii. Out of 143 dogs, 13 were found to have the infection, and 64 had antibodies indicating past exposure. The likelihood of testing positive for the infection was higher in August. Additional tests also found other tick-related infections, but none of the dogs showed signs of Lyme disease. This suggests that Ehrlichia ewingii is a common cause of tick-borne illness in this area, and if your dog shows symptoms of a tick-borne disease, it’s important to discuss testing for this infection with your veterinarian.
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Abstract
We used PCR and a novel serologic assay to determine infection and exposure rates to Ehrlichia ewingii in dogs from an area of northeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas where Amblyomma americanum ticks are abundant. Of 143 dogs assayed, 13 (9.1%) harbored E. ewingii by PCR and 64 (44.8%) had antibodies to E. ewingii detected using a peptide-based microtiter plate ELISA. Dogs were more likely (P=0.001) to be positive by PCR if sampled in August (30.8%) but no association was found between seropositive status and month of collection of sample (P>0.05). Additional testing revealed PCR evidence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis (4/143; 2.8%) and Anaplasma platys (5/143; 3.5%) as well as antibodies reactive to E. chaffeensis (25/143; 17.5%), Ehrlichia canis (2/143; 1.4%), and Anaplasma spp. (8/143; 5.6%). Testing of another 200 dogs from the area revealed additional PCR and/or serologic evidence of E. ewingii, E. canis, E. chaffeensis, and A. platys. None of the 343 dogs evaluated had evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi exposure. These data support the interpretation that E. ewingii may be the primary agent of canine ehrlichiosis in this region, and suggest that diagnostic evaluation of dogs suspected to have a tick-borne disease should include assays targeting this organism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20541322/