Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick infections in urban and rural dogs in Central Italy
By Ebani, Valentina Virginia et al.·Published in Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM·2014·Department of Veterinary Science, Italy·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Serological survey of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Ehrlichia canis infections in rural and urban dogs in Central Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 1,965 dogs in Central Italy were tested for infections caused by three tick-borne diseases: Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia burgdorferi. The results showed that 7.07% of the dogs had Ehrlichia canis, 4.68% had Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and 1.47% had Borrelia burgdorferi. Rural dogs had higher rates of Borrelia and Anaplasma infections compared to urban dogs, but there was no significant difference in Ehrlichia infections between the two groups. This highlights the importance of monitoring dogs for these diseases, as they can affect both pets and humans.
People also search for: dog tick disease symptoms · Ehrlichia canis treatment for dogs · Anaplasma phagocytophilum in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are well known zoonotic pathogens, whereas Ehrlichia canis is usually considered to be of veterinary concern, although on the basis of recent reports it also seems to be able to infect humans. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l., A. phagocytophilum and E. canis in an Italian canine population, and to verify if there are differences between dogs living in urban areas and those from a rural environment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Blood sera of 1,965 dogs, 1,235 from cities and 730 from rural areas, were tested by indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFAT). RESULTS: The overall seroprevalence was highest for E. canis (7.07%), followed by A. phagocytophilum (4.68%), and B. burgdorferi s.l. (1.47%). Rural dogs showed the highest seroprevalence to B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum. No significant differences were observed between rural and urban E. canis-positive dogs. A low percentage (1.32%) of dogs with dual seropositivity was detected, and no triple positive reactions were observed. No significant differences were detected in the seroprevalence of the three agents in relationship to the age and gender of the dogs. Seroprevalence in the five years considered were not statistically different, except for the lowest rate for E. canis observed in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l., A. phagocytophilum and E. canis in Italian dogs in both urban and rural areas. Monitoring pet dogs, which share the same environment with their owners, is useful for identifying the presence of tick-borne disease agents of both veterinary and public health significance.
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/25528899/