SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF EXPOSURE TO Ehrlichia canis IN CATS

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to estimate the occurrence of Ehrlichia canis in cats from the semiarid region of Northeast of Brazil. Sera of 101 healthy cats were submitted by Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA), and considered positive when antibody titers ≥ 40 were obtained. Seroprevalence of 35.6% (36/101) was found, with the following titers: 40 (15 animals); 160 (6); 320 (1); 640 (3), and 2,560 (11). No statistical differences were observed when comparing county of origin, gender, age, breed, and modus vivendi (pet and stray cats), and no ticks were observed in any of the cats. This study revealed exposure to E. canis in cats of the Semiarid Northeast of Brazil. Keywords: Caatinga; ehrlichiosis; feline; hemoparasite; semiarid. ResumoO objetivo do presente estudo foi estimar a ocorrência de Ehrlichia canis em gatos na região semiárida do Nordeste. Soros de 101 gatos saudáveis foram submetidos à Reação de Imunofluorescência Indireta (RIFI), sendo considerados positivos títulos ≥ 40. Soroprevalência de 35,6% (36/101) foi encontrada, com os seguintes títulos: 40 (15 animais); 160 (6); 320 (1); 640 (3) e 2560 (11). Não foram observadas diferenças estatísticas quanto ao município de origem, gênero, faixa etária, raça e modus vivendi (gatos domiciliados e errantes) e não foram observados carrapatos em qualquer um dos animais testados. Este estudo revelou exposição de gatos a E. canis na região semiárida do nordeste brasileiro.

Ehrlichia spp. infection in domestic cats from Rio de Janeiro State, southeast Brazil

“…In Brazil, a lower seropositivity rate was found by Braga et al (2012) in the State of Maranhão, which reported 5.5% (11/200) of seropositive animals using the same protocol and cutoff values for IFA that were used in our study. On the other hand, the seropositivity rate for Ehrlichia found in the present study was lower than that found in cats from a semiarid region of northeast Brazil (35,6%; 36/101) (FONTALVO et al, 2016). Ortuño et al (2005) The differences in frequency of seropositivity for Ehrlichia reported in a number of studies conducted in Brazil and elsewhere around the globe are probably associated with a number of factors, including: the distribution of the vectors; the climate of the geographic region where the studies were carried out; the seasonal patterns exhibited by the vectors; the number of samples tested; the population studied; the presence or absence of factors associated with the habitat of these animals, such as contact with other animals, presence of ectoparasites, and outdoor access; limitations of the diagnostic technique used; and the quality of the used antigen.…”

“…This result suggests that the animal, while still young, has limited contact with the vectors and the pathogen, and therefore has not yet developed immunity to the organism as it occurs in older animals (BANETH et al, 1998). The high frequency of positive adult cats was also reported in cats from the semiarid region of Northeast of Brazil and could be explained by the longer time of exposure to the involved vectors (FONTALVO et al, 2016).…”

Hemorheological Evaluation and Cytokine Production in Dogs Naturally Infected with Anaplasmataceae

“…Prevalence studies of Anaplasmataceae show that these infectious agents are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical countries [20]. Dogs with suspected CME have high rates of positivity for Anaplasmataceae infections [1,21], whereas in domestic cats, this rate is low [22].…”

Exposure of Domestic Cats to Distinct Ehrlichia canis TRP Genotypes

“…Given that dogs and cats have similar E. canis infection rates in some endemic areas in Brazil [4,[15][16][17], it would be interesting to investigate the presence of anti-E. canis antibodies in cats using TRP19, and to examine the different TRP36 genotypes in these animals. Therefore, in view of the sensitivity and specificity of these proteins in the immunodiagnosis of ehrlichiosis [12,18], the purpose of this study was to identify anti-E. canis antibodies in cats using TRP19, and to distinguish the genotypes detected using synthetic peptides of three TRP36 proteins, based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).…”