A molecular and serological study of exposure to tick-borne pathogens in sick dogs from Italy

Abstract

There is limited information regarding combined serological and molecular prevalence of canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in Italy [1] and much less information is available about the epidemiological and clinical importance of Rickettsia infection in dogs in endemic areas. Several studies have reported Rickettsia conorii seroprevalence rates ranging from 15.5% to 74% in dogs in R. conorii endemic regions [2]. The very high seroprevalences detected in dogs would suggest frequent exposure to Rickettsia. Recent studies reported the detection of Rickettsia DNA in the blood of Spanish and Italian dogs [3–5]. Although febrile illness has recently been associated with R. conorii infection in dogs from Sicily by means of seroconversion and PCR [5], evidence that R. conorii infection causes illness in dogs remains unclear. The aims of this prospective study were to evaluate theprevalenceofEhrlichia canis,Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia by means of serological and molecular techniques in Italian dogs with suspected tick-transmitted diseases and to assess the usefulness of those techniques to diagnose tick-transmitted diseases.