Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ehrlichia canis gene differences in dogs
By Siarkou, Victoria I et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2007·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene of Ehrlichia canis strains in dogs with clinical monocytic ehrlichiosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Greece with clinical signs of ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Ehrlichia canis, were tested to understand the genetic makeup of the strains involved. Out of 20 dogs, 15 tested positive for the bacteria, with some showing mild symptoms and others more severe. The study found that the strains from both mild and severe cases were genetically identical, suggesting that the same type of bacteria can cause different levels of illness in dogs. This information can help veterinarians better understand and treat this disease in affected pets.
People also search for: dog ehrlichiosis symptoms · Ehrlichia canis treatment for dogs · why is my dog tired and losing weight
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to characterize, at the molecular level, the Ehrlichia canis strains involved in naturally occurring canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) in Greece, and to investigate if any sequence diversity exists between the 16S rRNA genes of those involved in the mild non-myelosuppressive or the severe myelosuppressive form of CME. To this end, amplification of the ehrlichial 16S rRNA gene was attempted by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in bone marrow (BM) aspirates from 20 dogs tentatively diagnosed as having non-myelosuppressive (n=10, group A) or myelosuppressive (n=10, group B) CME. PCR assay using E. canis-specific primers revealed that 15 BM samples, including all group A and 5 group B dogs, were positive. Using universal PCR primers, a nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene could be amplified from 13 BM samples, including 9 group A and 4 group B dogs. The 16S rDNA analysis based on secondary structure revealed that all sequences of the Greek strains were identical to each other and indicated 100% identity among some American (Venezuelan and Brazilian), European (Greek), Middle Eastern (Turkish) and Asiatic (Thailand) strains. The results of this study suggest that the E. canis strains involved in the non-myelosuppressive and myelosuppressive forms of CME in Greece share an identical 16S rRNA genotype.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17624694/