Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick infestation and diseases in pet dogs in south-eastern China
By Zhang, Jianwei et al.·Published in Parasite (Paris, France)·2017·Merial International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Epidemiological survey of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in pet dogs in south-eastern China.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that ticks and tick-borne diseases are a concern for pet dogs in south-eastern China. Researchers collected ticks from over 500 dogs and tested them for various diseases. They discovered that a small percentage of dogs were infected with pathogens like Ehrlichia canis and Babesia gibsoni, which can cause serious health issues. The findings highlight the importance of regular tick prevention and treatment to keep dogs safe from these infections.
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Abstract
To understand the epidemiology of tick infestation and tick-borne diseases in pet dogs in south-eastern China and to develop a reference for their prevention and treatment, we collected 1550 ticks parasitizing 562 dogs in 122 veterinary clinics from 20 cities of south-eastern China. Dogs were tested for common tick-borne pathogens; collected ticks were identified and processed for the detection of tick-borne pathogens. The use of an in vitro ELISA diagnostic kit for antibody detection (SNAP®4Dx® Plus) on dog sera found the infection rates with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia canis, and Anaplasma spp. to be 0.4%, 1.3% and 2.7%, respectively. By using a specific ELISA method, the infection rate with Babesia gibsoni was 3.9%. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides were the major tick species identified on pet dogs. PCR tests were conducted to detect five tick-borne pathogens in 617 ticks. The infection rate was 10.2% for E. canis, 3.4% for Anaplasma platys, 2.3% for B. gibsoni, 0.3% for B. burgdorferi s.l. and 0% for Babesia canis. Some ticks were co-infected with two (1.46%) or three pathogens (0.16%). These results indicate the infestation of pet dogs by ticks infected with tick-borne pathogens in south-eastern China, and the need for effective treatment and routine prevention of tick infestations in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28971797/