Seroprevalence and hematological abnormalities associated with Ehrlichia canis in dogs referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in central-western Brazil

Abstract

Ticks are significant parasites of dogs in the tropics, where tick-borne pathogens are highly prevalent, especially in areas where tick control measures are frequently neglected. This study investigated the seroprevalence and hematological abnormalities associated with Ehrlichia canis in dogs referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in Central-western Brazil. Out of 264 dogs tested for anti-Ehrlichia canis antibodies by an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), 59.1% (156/264) were positive. Seropositivity was significantly associated to anemia and thrombocytopenia, alone or in combination, and to leukopenia. Conversely, there were no differences in terms of seroprevalence according to sex, breed and age. This study demonstrated that dogs referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in Central-western Brazil are highly exposed to E. canis and that seropositive dogs are more likely to present hematological abnormalities, particularly anemia, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. To our knowledge, this is the first study on detection of anti-E. canis antibodies by means of IFA among dogs in the state of Goiás. These findings highlighted the need for increasing awareness among dog owners regarding tick control measures in Central-western Brazil, ultimately to reduce the risk of exposure to E. canis and other tick-borne pathogens.

Novel Ehrlichia canis genogroup in dogs with canine ehrlichiosis in Cuba

“…The intracellular bacteria Ehrlichia canis is globally distributed and is the most common tick-borne pathogen infecting dogs in South America [16,[41][42][43]. Infection with E. canis has been reported previously in Cuba [22], and phylogenetic analysis based on E. canis 16S rRNA led to the identification of 179 E. canis-positive dogs in the western region of Cuba [24].…”