Considering the zoonotic potential of tick-borne disease (TBD) agents and the fact that dogs may act as sentinels for human infection, the aim of the present study was to determine the seroprevalence of TBD agents and risk factors for exposure in two different canine populations from Parana State, Southern Brazil. A total of 138 dog serum samples from urban (UA) (n=68) and rural (RA) (n=70) areas were tested with commercial ELISA rapid test for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis and Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFAT) for Babesia vogeli. An overall of 92/138 (66.7%) dogs, being 62/68 (91.2%) from UA and 30/70 (42.9%) from RA, were seropositive for at least one TBD agent. From the total number of dogs, sixty-two were positive for E. canis (44.9%), 19 (13.8%) for A. phagocytophilum, and 64 (46.4%) for B. vogeli. Anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies were not detected. Dogs from UA showed a higher percentage of tick infestation (p = 0.0135) and were highly associated with seropositivity to E. canis (p = 0.000005), A. phagocytophilum (p = 0.0001), and B. vogeli (p = 0.0012). In summary, the findings indicate that dogs from urban areas present higher potential risk exposure to TBD pathogens than those from rural areas.Keywords: Ehrlichia canis, Babesia vogeli, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, serology, Parana. ResumoConsiderando o potencial zoonótico das doenças transmitidas por carrapatos (DTCs) e que os cães podem atuar como sentinelas para infecções em humanos, os objetivos deste estudo foram determinar a soroprevalência de agentes das DTCs e fatores de risco para a exposição em duas diferentes populações caninas do Estado do Paraná, região Sul do Brasil. Um total de 138 amostras de soro de cães de área urbana (AU) (n = 68) e rural (AR) (n = 70) foram testadas utilizando um teste de ELISA comercial rápido para detecção de anticorpos contra Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis e Borrelia burgdorferi e imunofluorescência indireta (IFI) para Babesia vogeli. Um total de 92/138 (66,7%) cães, sendo 62/68 (91,2%) da AU e 30/70 (42,9%) da AR, foram soropositivos para pelo menos um agente. Do número total de amostras, sessenta e duas (44,9%) foram positivas para E. canis, 19 (13,8%) para A. phagocytophilum e 64 (46,4%) para B. canis vogeli. Anticorpos anti-B. burgdorferi não foram detectados. Os cães da AU apresentaram o maior percentual de infestação por carrapatos (p = 0,0135) e foram altamente associados com a positividade para E. canis (p = 0,000005), A. phagocytophilum (p = 0,0001) e B. vogeli (p = 0,0012). Em resumo, nossos achados indicam que cães de áreas urbanas têm um maior risco potencial de exposição a agentes patogênicos das DTCs comparados aos das áreas rurais.
The aims of the present study were to serosurvey dogs, horses, and humans highly exposed to tick bites for anti-Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. antibodies, identify tick species present, and determine risk factors associated with seropositivity in a rural settlement of Paraná State, southern Brazil. Eighty-seven residents were sampled, along with their 83 dogs and 18 horses, and individual questionnaires were administered. Immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) was performed on serum samples and positive samples were subjected to western blot (WB) analysis. Anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies were found in 4/87 (4.6%) humans, 26/83 (31.3%) dogs, and 7/18 (38.9%) horses by IFAT, with 4/4 humans also positive by WB. Ticks identified were mostly from dogs and included 45/67 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 21/67 Amblyomma ovale, and 1/67 A. cajennense sensu lato. All (34/34) horse ticks were identified as A. cajennense s.l.. No significant association was found when age, gender, or presence of ticks was correlated to seropositivity to Borrelia sp. In conclusion, although anti-Borrelia antibodies have been found in dogs, horses and their owners from the rural settlement, the lack of isolation, molecular characterization, absence of competent vectors and the low specificity of the commercial WB kit used herein may have impaired risk factor analysis.
Despite our current knowledge of the immunology, pathology, and genetics of Anaplasma marginale, prevention in cattle is currently based on old standbys, including live attenuated vaccines, antibiotic treatment, and maintaining enzootic stability in cattle herds. In the present study, we evaluated the use of an immunostimulant complex (ISCOMATRIX) adjuvant, associated with a pool of recombinant major surface proteins (rMSP1a, rMSP1b, rMSP4 and rMSP5) to improve the humoral immune response triggered in calves mainly by IgG2. Ten calves were divided in three groups: 4 calves were inoculated with the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs (G1); 2 calves were inoculated with ISCOMATRIX adjuvant (G2); and 4 calves received saline (G3). Three inoculations were administered at 21-day intervals. In G1, the calves showed significant increases in total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 levels 21 days after the second inoculation, compared to the control group (p < 0.05), and G1 calves remained above the cut-off value 28 days after the third inoculation (p < 0.05). The post-immunized sera from calves in G1 reacted specifically for each of the rMSPs used. In conclusion, the ISCOMATRIX/rMSPs induced antigen-specific seroconversion in calves. Therefore, additional testing to explore the protection induced by rMSPs, both alone and in conjunction with proteins previously identified as subdominant epitopes, is warranted.
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