Serological and Molecular Prevalence ofBorrelia burgdorferi,Anaplasma phagocytophilum, andEhrlichiaSpecies in Dogs from Minnesota

Abstract

A population of 731 naturally exposed pet dogs examined at a private practice in Baxter, Minnesota, an area endemic for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, was tested by serological and molecular methods for evidence of exposure to or infection with selected vector-borne pathogens. Serum samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Ehrlichia canis antibodies and for Dirofilaria immitis antigen. Blood samples from 273 dogs were also analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species DNA. Based on the owner history and the attending veterinarian's physical examination findings, dogs exhibiting illness compatible with anaplasmosis or borreliosis were considered clinical cases, and their results were compared to the healthy dog population. Antibodies to only A. phagocytophilum were detected in 217 (29%) dogs; to only B. burgdorferi, in 80 (11%) dogs; and seroreactivity to both organisms, in 188 (25%) dogs. Of 89 suspected cases of canine anaplasmosis or borreliosis, A. phagocytophilum or B. burgdorferi antibodies were detected in 22 dogs (25%) and 8 dogs (9%) respectively, whereas antibodies to both organisms were found in 38 dogs (43%). Ehrlichia canis antibodies and D. immitis antigen were each detected in 11 (1.5%) dogs. Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA was amplified from 7 of 222 (3%) healthy dogs and 19 of 51 (37%) clinical cases. Seroreactivity to both A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi was detected more frequently in suspected cases of anaplasmosis and/or borreliosis than seroreactivity to either organism alone. Based on PCR testing, A. phagocytophilum DNA was more prevalent in suspected cases of anaplasmosis or borreliosis than in healthy dogs from the same region.

Important frequency of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in a population of domiciled dogs in an urbanized area in south-eastern Brazil

“…Present investigation showed that the frequency of seropositive dogs was 42.8%, a value that is similar to seroprevalences of 55 and 50% reported for dogs in North America and Europe, respectively (Beall et al 2008, Barutzki et al 2006). These findings indicate that the animals are frequently exposed to infection and that study area may be endemic for A. phagocytophilum.…”

Current Surveys of the Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Leishmania infantum, Babesia canis, Angiostrongylus vasorum and Dirofilaria immitis in Dogs in Bulgaria

“…This indicates another intriguing co-infection that points on the one hand to exposure of dogs to at least two different tick vectors, I. ricinus and R. sanguineus. On the other hand, it is known that mixed infection with Lyme borreliae and rickettsias in the form of A. phagocytophilum increases the potential of a dog to develop clinical signs, in contrast to infections with a single agent (Beall et al 2008). Nevertheless, Borrelia seroprevalence in dogs in Bulgaria is relatively low compared with Germany (9.7 %; Krupka et al 2007) but comparable with Poland, for example, (3.8 %; Krämer et al 2014) and even higher than in France (1.1 %; Pantchev et al 2009), all results obtained with a comparable C6 -based EIA.…”

Retrospective Study of Tick-Borne Pathogens and Observation of <i>Ehrlichia ewingii / Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> and Hemotropic <i>Mycoplasma</i> spp. in Dogs’ Blood Films

“…In the United States, A. phagocytophilum is mostly in western and northern Midwestern states [15,23,28]. The range of the seroprevalence in infected dogs can vary widely; in the Europe, the A. phagocytophilum seroprevalence may vary from 5% to 70.5% [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37] and in the United States was from 0.0% to 67.4% [23,[38][39][40]. In Canada, there was low seroprevalence of A. phagocytophilum among dogs which were tested in different provinces (0.09-0.9%) [3,41].…”

“…Some of these neutrophils were in abnormal shapes; these neutrophils can be named "old neutrophils". In canine granulocytic anaplasmosis, mild to moderated nonregenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia are observed [15,16,23]. In Diff Quick, both neutrophilia and neutropenia can be recorded, lymphopenia, monocytosis, eosinopenia are also observed.…”