Vector-Borne Pathogens-Testing in a Romanian Canine Blood Bank

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Canine blood banking in veterinary medicine is an expanding market. Once the demand for blood products increased all over the world, canine blood banks have focused attention on the risk of spreading diseases through blood transfused products. The need to preserve a healthy donor-pool, free of blood-borne infectious diseases, mainly in endemic areas, led to the implementation of appropriate protocols for screening canine blood donors using specific tests. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum/Anaplasmaplatys, Echrlichiacanis/Echrlichiaewingii, Dirofilariaimmitis and Borrelia burgdorferi using the enzyme immunoassay technology (EIA) among the donors of a Romanian canine blood bank, from January 2015 to December 2016. METHODS: Blood samples from 575 donors were collected and 1253 tests were performed with SNAP 4DX Plus® (IDEXX Laboratories, Fremont, CA) to reveal the presence of D. immitis antigens and the antibodies toward A. phagocytophilum and/or A. platys, E. canis and/or E. ewingii and B. burgdorferi. RESULTS: The results of this holistic approach show that all blood samples provided negative results for B. burgdorferi and E.canis/E. ewingii (0/1253), while 0.87% (11/1253) samples provided positive results for A. phagocytophilum/A. platys and 6.94% (87/1253) for D. immitis. CONCLUSION: The next studied topic would be to compare the results provided by the EIA technology with results of real time PCR and qPCR regarding these vector-borne pathogens. UDC Classification: 616.9; DOI: http://dx.

Strategies for the Diagnosis of Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in Two Naturally Infected Dogs

“…This was performed in accordance with a serological study published in 2018, where 11 out of 1253 blood samples tested for donation were positive for A. platys/A. phagocytophilum, using the SNAP 4DX Plus test [46]. Nevertheless, the results for both tests were mildly positive, so we tested the samples for confirmation using qRT-PCR.…”

“…Firstly, the blood samples were tested with VETSCAN ® FLEX4 (93.3% sensibility; 96.4% specificity; as specified by the manufacturer), but according to Liu et al in 2018 [ 7 ], the sensibility degrees of VETSCAN ® FLEX4 and SNAP 4DX Plus test were 12.7% versus 84.5%, which is why we decided to also test the blood samples with the second serological test. This was performed in accordance with a serological study published in 2018, where 11 out of 1253 blood samples tested for donation were positive for A. platys / A. phagocytophilum , using the SNAP 4DX Plus test [ 46 ]. Nevertheless, the results for both tests were mildly positive, so we tested the samples for confirmation using qRT-PCR.…”

The Immune Response Against Rabies Virus Among Canine Donors in a Romanian Blood Bank

“…ewingii (0/1253), while 0.87% (11/1253) were positive for A. phagocytophilum/A. platys and 6.94% (87/1253) positive for D. immitis Ionescu et al (2018b). All these tests are in accord with the current canine donor selection rules Yagi and Bean (2016) that guarantee transfusion safety for both donor and transfused dogs.…”

“…The transfusion technology initially developed for human health became more easily available for companion animals, which led to the design and set up of veterinary blood banks Radulescu et al (2009). Like in human transfusion medicine, the canine blood bank use pretransfusion testing for canine erythrocyte antigens Yagi and Bean (2016); Ionescu et al (2018a) and blood-borne pathogens Reine (2004); Ionescu et al (2018b) to minimize the risks associated with blood transfusion. In this regard, our previous studies established that canine blood donors of Romania blood banks were 56.19% (59/105) DEA1 positive [37.29% (22/59) male, and 88.13% (52/59) purebred] and 43.81% (46/105) DEA1 negative [56.52% (26/46) male, and 93.48% (43/46) purebred] Ionescu et al (2018a), provided negative results for B. burgdorferi and E.canis/E.…”