Molecular detection of vector-borne bacteria and protozoa in healthy hunting dogs from Central Italy

• Published in: Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine
• Main Authors: Valentina Virginia Ebani, Simona Nardoni, Giulia Fognani, Linda Mugnaini, Fabrizio Bertelloni, Guido Rocchigiani, Roberto Amerigo Papini, Francesco Stefani, Francesca Mancianti
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015
• Subjects: Arthropod-borne infection; Bacteria; Dog; PCR; Protozoa; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(15)30153-2; https://doaj.org/article/8169a89cd6e44bbfa35c5b9aaf73de10

Objective:: To determine the prevalence of vector-borne bacteria and protozoa in hunting dogs living in Central Italy. Methods:: Molecular testing was executed on DNA which was extracted from blood specimens collected from 117 asymptomatic dogs to detect Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia canis (B. canis), Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis, and Leishmania infantum. Results:: A total of 48 dogs (41.0%) were infested by Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks. Tick-borne infections were observed in 64 (54.7%) animals. More in detail, 38 dogs (32.5%) screened positive for Hepatozoon canis, 24 (20.5%) for Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, 20 (17.1%) for Leishmania infantum, 6 (5.1%) for C. burnetii, 5 (4.3%) for B. canis (3 B. canis vogeli and 2 B. canis canis), 3 (2.5%) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and 2 (1.7%) for Ehrlichia canis. Mixed infection by 2 agents occurred in 17 (14.5%) subjects, by 3 agents in 7 (6.0%) dogs, and by 4 agents in 1 (0.9%) animal. Conclusions:: The results demonstrated that several vector-borne pathogens were circulating in this region and dogs infected by these agents were usually asymptomatic. A relevant finding was the presence of DNA of C. burnetii, a severe zoonotic agent, in the 5.1% of tested dogs, which can be source of infection for their owners not only through tick bites, but also directly with urine, feces and birth products.