Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine tick-borne diseases and heartworm found in dogs in Lábrea
By Soares, Herbert Sousa et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2014·Departamento de Medicina Veteriná·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Survey of canine tick-borne diseases in Lábrea, Brazilian Amazon: 'accidental' findings of Dirofilaria immitis infection.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 18.2% of urban dogs and 57.6% of rural dogs in Lábrea, Brazil, tested positive for Dirofilaria immitis, a parasite that can cause heartworm disease. While tick-borne infections were uncommon in the area, the rates of heartworm infection were notably high compared to other regions in South America. This means that pet owners in Lábrea should be particularly vigilant about heartworm prevention for their dogs. Regular testing and preventive treatments can help protect dogs from this serious condition.
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Abstract
Blood samples were collected from 99 domestic dogs from the urban and rural areas of the Lábrea municipality, state of Amazonas, Brazil. Canine serum samples were tested by immunofluorescence assay against Rickettsia spp., which revealed that only 3.0% (1/33) and 7.6% (5/66) of the dogs from urban and rural areas, respectively, reacted positively to at least one Rickettsia species. DNA was extracted from canine blood and tested by a battery of PCR assays targeting protozoa of the genera Babesia and Hepatozoon, and bacteria of the genera Rickettsia and Ehrlichia and family Anaplasmataceae. All samples were negative in the PCR assays targeting the genera Babesia, Hepatozoon, Ehrlichia and Rickettsia. For Anaplasmataceae, 3% (1/33) and 39.4% (26/66) of the urban and rural dogs, respectively, yielded amplicons that generated DNA sequences 100% identical to the corresponding sequence of Wolbachia endosymbiont of Dirofilaria immitis. Because of these results, all canine DNA samples were further tested in a PCR assay targeting filarial nematodes, which was positive for 18.2% (6/33) and 57.6% (38/66) urban and rural dogs, respectively. Filarial-PCR products generated DNA sequences 100% identical to D. immitis. While tick-borne infections were rare in Lábrea, D. immitis infection rates were among the highest reported in South America.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25517525/