Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick infections found in dogs and horses in Espirito Santo Brazil
By Vieira, Fernanda de Toledo et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2018·Universidade Vila Velha, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tick-borne infections in dogs and horses in the state of Espírito Santo, Southeast Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 378 dogs in Brazil were tested for tick-borne infections, and 157 of them (about 42%) were found to have ticks. The most common tick was identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Among the dogs tested, 5 had Babesia vogeli, 34 had Anaplasma platys, and 39 were positive for Hepatozoon canis. Additionally, 28 dogs tested positive for Ehrlichia canis. This study highlights the presence of various tick-borne diseases in dogs, which can lead to serious health issues, so it's important for pet owners to be vigilant about tick prevention and to consult their veterinarian if they notice any symptoms.
People also search for: dog ticks symptoms · Ehrlichia canis treatment · Babesia in dogs · how to prevent ticks on dogs · signs of tick-borne disease in dogs
Abstract
This work aims to identify and quantify the percentage of Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. positive pet dogs, and to identify ticks collected on these animals in the state of Espírito Santo, in the Southeast region of Brazil. The study included 378 dogs, 226 females and 152 males, of various breeds and ages (mean age of 4.1 years). All animals were examined for ticks, and whole blood was collected and processed by conventional PCR protocols for Babesia spp., Anaplasmataceae, Hepatozoon spp. and by real-time PCR for Ehrlichia canis. Of the 378 dogs examined, 157 (41.53%) had ticks at the time of the study, which were identified as R. sanguineus s.l. in 154 animals (98.10%), Amblyomma ovale in one animal (0.63%), and Amblyomma sculptum in 2 animals (1.27%). In the PCR for Babesia spp., 5 animals (1.32%) were positive, producing DNA sequences 100% identical to Babesia vogeli. For Anaplasmataceae, 34 animals (9%) were positive, 10 of which generated DNA sequences 100% similar to Ehrlichia canis. The other 24 samples generated fragments 100% identical to Anaplasma platys. In the PCR for Hepatozoon spp, 39 animals (10.31%) were positive, producing sequences 100% identical to Hepatozoon canis. Finally, in the real-time PCR specific for E. canis, 28 animals (7.40%) were positive. Coinfection with 2 or 3 agents was observed in 20 animals (5.29%). Of the 378 dogs sampled, 312 were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for E. canis and five species of Rickettsia (R. rickettsii, R. parkeri, R. amblyommatis, R. rhipicephali and R. bellii). Among them, 71 dogs (22.75%) had a positive reaction for E. canis and 16 dogs (5.13%) had antibody titers higher than 64 to at least one Rickettsia species, 5 of them (1.60%) to R. rickettsii. Samples of blood were collected from 10 equines in the regions where dogs were found with positive serology for any one of the Rickettsia sp. tested. In the municipality of Vila Velha, two equines were positive for R. bellii with inverse titers of 64 and 128. These results indicate that tick-transmitted agents, such as E. canis, A. platys, B. vogeli, H. canis, and several spotted fever group Rickettsia are circulating in the canine population of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29279085/