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Ehrlichia canis in dogs of Mexico: Prevalence, incidence, co–infection and factors associated

2019; Elsevier BV; Volume: 67; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101351

1878-1667

Melina Maribel Ojeda-Chí, Roger Iván Rodríguez‐Vivas, Maria D. Esteve‐Gasent, Adalberto Á. Pérez de León, Joseph J. Modarelli, Sandra Luz Villegas-Pérez,

Rabies epidemiology and control

Rickettsial infections in dogs of Mexico were investigated. A total of 246 dogs were blood sampled and initially screened to detect Ehrlichia canis, E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia rickettsii by a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay. Sixty-five dogs were monitored and sampled twice 7-8 months apart. Using the qPCR, 72 positive dogs to E. canis were detected (prevalence of 29.26%). These dogs were also tested by nested PCR to detect the same pathogens. None of the studied dogs were positive to E. chaffeensis, E. ewingii, R. rickettsii nor A. phagocytophilum by both PCR assays. The cumulative incidence of E. canis infection was 38.46%. Sequencing analysis of the nested PCR products revealed 100% and 98.1% identity of E. canis and R. parkeri, respectively. We found a dog co-infected with E. canis and R. parkeri.