Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First detection and study of Ehrlichia canis in dogs in Costa Rica
By Romero, L E et al.·Published in Research in veterinary science·2011·Laboratorio Central de Diagnó·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First isolation and molecular characterization of Ehrlichia canis in Costa Rica, Central America.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Costa Rica suspected of having ehrlichiosis (a tick-borne disease) had blood samples tested, and nearly half were found to be positive for the bacteria Ehrlichia canis. Researchers successfully isolated the bacteria from some of these samples, confirming its presence in the region for the first time. This information is important for veterinarians in Costa Rica to better diagnose and treat affected dogs. Treatment typically involves antibiotics, which can help clear the infection and improve the dog's health.
People also search for: dog ehrlichiosis symptoms · Ehrlichia canis treatment · Costa Rica dog tick disease
Abstract
The present study investigated Ehrlichia species in blood samples from dogs suspected of clinical ehrlichiosis, using molecular and isolation techniques in cell culture. From a total of 310 canine blood samples analyzed by 16S rRNA nested PCR, 148 (47.7%) were positive for Ehrlichia canis. DNA from Ehrlichia chaffeensis or Ehrlichia ewingii was not detected in any sample using species-specific primers in separated reactions. Leukocytes from five PCR-positive dogs were inoculated into DH82 cells; successful isolation of E. canis was obtained in four samples. Partial sequence of the dsb gene of eight canine blood samples (including the five samples for in vitro isolation) was obtained by PCR and their analyses through BLAST showed 100% of identity with the corresponding sequence of E. canis in GenBank. This study represents the first molecular diagnosis, isolation, and molecular characterization of E. canis in dogs from Costa Rica.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20723954/