Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Borrelia infection antibodies found in 10% of dogs in Sapporo Japan
By Uesaka, Karin et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2016·Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Japan·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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 infection of dogs in Sapporo, Japan, where Borrelia garinii infection was previously detected.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of dogs in Sapporo, Japan, found that about 10% had been exposed to Borrelia bacteria, which can cause Lyme disease. Researchers tested blood samples from 314 dogs and discovered that 34 had antibodies against these bacteria, indicating past infections. Dogs that had been infested with ticks were more likely to test positive for the infection. This suggests that pet owners in tick-prone areas should be aware of the risk of Lyme disease and consider preventive measures, especially for dogs with a history of tick exposure.
People also search for: dog Lyme disease symptoms · tick prevention for dogs · Borrelia infection in dogs
Abstract
A serological survey of Borrelia infection of dogs was performed in Sapporo, Japan, where Borrelia garinii infection in dogs was detected in 2011. A total of 314 serum samples were collected from dogs that visited three animal hospitals in Sapporo from 2012 to 2014. The two-step evaluation method, involving screening ELISA followed by Western blot analysis, was used to detect antibodies against Borrelia species. A total of 34 samples were positive by ELISA. Among those 34 samples, 32 were positive for Borrelia spp. by Western blot. These findings suggest that the 32 dogs (10.2%) generated antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, such as B. garinii or B. afzelii. Antibody positivity was 7.6% and 13.3% for dogs living in urban and rural areas, respectively. Dogs with a history of tick infestation showed a positive rate of 16.7%, which was higher, although not significantly, than the 6.7% among dogs without a history.
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/26522809/