Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vector-borne parasitic infections found in dogs in Northeast India
By Sarma, Kalyan et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2019·Department of Veterinary Medicine, India·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular investigation of vector-borne parasitic infections in dogs in Northeast India.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that over half of the dogs tested in Northeast India had infections from parasites spread by insects. Out of 130 dogs, 43% were infected with Babesia gibsoni, which can cause serious health issues, while 38% had Hepatozoon canis. Many dogs had multiple infections at once, which can complicate treatment. The researchers suggest that using topical treatments to kill ticks and fleas, along with heartworm prevention, could help protect dogs from these dangerous infections.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Information on the status of vector-borne pathogens among canines in Northeast India is lacking, particularly for the states of Mizoram and Tripura close to the Myanmar border. Blood samples collected from 130 dogs, 80 from Mizoram and 50 from Tripura, were examined in this study. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for filariid worms, Babesia, Hepatozoon, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. and DNA sequencing was then carried out to identify pathogens at the species level. RESULTS: Vector-borne pathogens were detected in 52% (68/130) of the sampled dogs. The most prevalent pathogen was Babesia gibsoni detected in 56/130 (43%) dogs, followed by Hepatozoon canis in 50/130 (38%), Anaplasma platys in 4/130 (3%), B. vogeli in 4/130 (3%), Acanthochelionema reconditum in 3/130 (2%) and Dirofilaria immitis in 2/130 (2%). Forty-four dogs (34%) were co-infected with two or more pathogens. The most common co-infection observed was with B. gibsoni + H. canis (34%) followed by triple-infection with B. gibsoni + H. canis + A. platys (3%), and B. gibsoni + B. vogeli + H. canis (3%). The infection rate was higher in Mizoram (58%) than in Tripura (44%). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of infection in the studied dog population, especially with B. gibsoni and H. canis, indicates that vector-borne diseases pose a serious threat to the health of dogs in this area of Northeast India. Prevention of vector-borne diseases by using topical acaricides and heartworm preventative treatment would be of great benefit for reducing the threat of vector-borne diseases in the study area.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30909966/