Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia canis infection in dogs near parks in northeastern Italy
By Olivieri, Emanuela et al.·Published in Parasites & vectors·2016·Department of Veterinary Medicine, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: The southernmost foci of Dermacentor reticulatus in Italy and associated Babesia canis infection in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs in northeastern Italy were diagnosed with babesiosis, an infection caused by the Babesia canis parasite, which is transmitted by ticks. Researchers collected ticks from local parks and found that the ticks were Dermacentor reticulatus, known to carry this parasite. Blood tests showed that about 8.8% of the dogs tested had antibodies against Babesia canis, indicating exposure to the infection. This study highlights the presence of these ticks in Italy and their connection to the infection in dogs, which is important for pet owners in the area to be aware of.
People also search for: dog babesiosis symptoms · tick-borne diseases in dogs · how to prevent ticks on dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Two clustered clinical cases of canine babesiosis were diagnosed by veterinary practitioners in two areas of northeastern Italy close to natural parks. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of babesial infection in dogs, the etiological agents that cause canine babesiosis and the potential tick vector for the involved Babesia spp. METHODS: The study area was represented by two parks in northeastern Italy: Groane Regional Park (Site A) and the Ticino Valley Lombard Park (Site B). From March to May 2015 ticks were collected from the vegetation in three transects in each site. In the same period, blood samples were collected from 80 dogs randomly chosen from veterinary clinics and kennel located in the two areas. Morphological identification of the ticks was performed and six specimens were molecularly characterised by the amplification and sequencing of partial mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and cox1 genes. For phylogenetic analyses, sequences herein obtained for all genes and those available from GenBank for other Dermacentor spp. were included. Dog serum samples were analysed with a commercial indirect fluorescent antibody test to detect the presence of IgG antibodies against Babesia canis. Ticks and blood samples were tested by PCR amplification using primers targeting 18S rRNA gene of Babesia spp. RESULTS: Ticks collected (n = 34) were morphologically identified as adults of D. reticulatus. Twenty-eight ticks were found in all transects from Site A and the remaining six were collected in Site B. Blast analysis of mitochondrial sequences confirmed the morphological identification of processed tick specimens by revealing a highest nucleotide similarity (99-100%) with those of D. reticulatus available in the GenBank database. The phylogenetic trees were concordant in clustering D. reticulatus in a monophyletic clade. Seven dogs (8.8%) had antibodies against B. canis, most of which (n = 6) came from Site A. Analysis of nucleotide sequences obtained from one tick and from one dog identified B. canis displayed a 100% similarity to those available in GenBank. CONCLUSIONS: This study morphologically and molecularly confirms the presence of D. reticulatus in Italy and links it, for the first time, with the occurrence of B. canis infection in dogs in this country.
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/27090579/