Co-infection patterns of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in owned free-ranging dogs in central Chile

• Published in: Veterinary Research Communications
• Main Authors: Cevidanes, Aitor, Di Cataldo, María Sophia, Muñoz San Martín, Catalina, Latrofa, Maria Stefania, Hernández, Claudia, Cattan, Pedro E., Otranto, Domenico, Millán, Javier
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer
• Subjects: CANIS LUPUS FAMILIARIS; CHAGAS DISEASE; FLEA-BORNE; TICK-BORNE; VECTOR-BORNE; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6; https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1; Argentina; San Martín; Catalina; Bello; Muñoz; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11336/203305

We investigated the co-occurrence of the nine of the most relevant canine vector-borne pathogens (CVBP) using conventional and real-time PCR and evaluated risk factors and potential non-apparent haematological alterations associated with co-infection in 111 rural, owned, free-ranging dogs in the Metropolitan Region of Chile. At least one pathogen was detected in 75% of the dogs. DNA of Anaplasma platys (Ap; 36%), Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum (CMhp; 31%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (Mhc; 28%), Trypanosoma cruzi (17%), Leishmania spp. (4.5%), and Acanthocheilonema reconditum (1%) was detected. All dogs were negative for Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., Piroplasmida, and Hepatozoon spp. Thirty-eight dogs (34%) were coinfected. CMhp was involved in 71%, Mhc in 58%, and Ap in 50% of the co-infections. The most common co-infection pattern was CMhp–Mhc (37% of the cases). The prevalence of Ap was higher in juvenile than in adult dogs, whereas the opposite was found for CMhp and Mhc. Adult dogs were four times more likely of being co-infected than juveniles. Co-infected animals showed higher white blood cell count, segmented neutrophil count, and GGT levels than non-co-infected dogs. Clinically healthy but infected dogs may act as reservoirs of CVBP, and their free-ranging behavior would facilitate the spread of these pathogens to other dogs as well as human beings or wild carnivores. Fil: Cevidanes, Aitor. Centro de Investigación. Neiker - Tecnalia; España. Universidad Andrés Bello; Chile Fil: Di Cataldo, María Sophia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; Argentina. Universidad Andrés Bello; Chile Fil: Muñoz San Martín, Catalina. Universidad Bernardo O'higgins; Chile Fil: Latrofa, Maria Stefania. Università degli Studi di Bari; Italia Fil: Hernández, Claudia. Universidad Andrés Bello; Chile Fil: Cattan, Pedro E. Universidad de Chile; Chile Fil: Otranto, ...