Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ehrlichia canis infection and risk factors in dogs in western Cuba
By Navarrete, Maylin G et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2018·Department of Animal Prevention·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serological and molecular diagnosis of Ehrlichia canis and associated risk factors in dogs domiciled in western Cuba.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Cuba found that a high number of dogs tested positive for Ehrlichia canis, a tick-borne disease that can cause serious health issues. Out of 378 dogs tested, about 79% had antibodies indicating they had been exposed to the bacteria, while 47% tested positive through a DNA test. The research highlighted that dogs living in certain areas and those with a history of tick infestations were more likely to be infected. This information can help pet owners understand the risks and take preventive measures against ticks to protect their dogs from this disease.
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Abstract
Ehrlichia canis is a rickettsia transmitted by the tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and is the causative agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME). In Cuba, the first diagnosis of CME was made in 2001, but few studies have since investigated this disease locally. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of E. canis in dogs domiciled in four municipalities within the western region of Cuba and determine the associated risk factors. Blood was drawn from 378 selected dogs living in four municipalities in two provinces of western Cuba. From the total number of samples, 206 plasma samples were selected to perform an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies against E. canis. Using the original 378 samples of extracted DNA, a nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) was performed to amplify a specific fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of E. canis. Analysis of the 206 plasma samples revealed a total of 162 animals that were seropositive for E. canis (78.64%) with a density index between 109.5 and 970.7. In contrast, 179 samples were positive based on the nPCR assay (47.35%). As well, there was a high concordance (kappa = 0.7), calculated through the Kappa index, between the animals found to be positive based on nPCR and those determined based on ELISA. The analysis of risk factors showed that residing in the municipality of Boyeros in addition to having a history of infestation by ticks increases the probability of having a positive result based on nPCR.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31014724/