Abstract
An available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was studied for the detection of anti-B. canis antibodies in the sera of dogs using, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) as a reference test. ELISA uses a soluble antigenic preparation of B. canis and the optimal dilutions of the antigen, serum and conjugate were determined by check board titration, using positive and negative reference serum. The soluble antigen preparation of B. canis merozoites was 10 microg x mL(-1), with reference sera from positive and negative in a single dilution of 1:100, and conjugated to 1:4.000. A total of 246 serum samples were collected from dogs during the rabies vaccination campaign in Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil and examined for the presence of antibodies against B. canis by ELISA and IFAT. Under these conditions, the average absorbance of negative serum was 0.129 + or - 0.025, resulting in a cut-of value of 0.323 (ELISA level 3) and the average absorbance of positive reference serum was 2.156 + or - 1.187. The serological positive samples tested for B. canis by ELISA and IFAT were 67.89% (n = 167) and 59.35% (n = 146), respectively. These results suggest that ELISA described may prove to be an effective serological test to diagnose canine babesiosis.
Highlights
Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne hemolytic disease caused by the intraerythrocytic parasites Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni, which affects wild and domestic canids (BRANDÃO et al, 2003)
These results suggest that enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) described may prove to be an effective serological test to diagnose canine babesiosis
The estimated ELISA values demonstrated that 67.89% (n = 167) of the dogs had ELISA levels (EL) 3 to 9, with only 32.11% (n = 79) of the serum samples being negative for B. canis infection
Summary
Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne hemolytic disease caused by the intraerythrocytic parasites Babesia canis and Babesia gibsoni, which affects wild and domestic canids (BRANDÃO et al, 2003). Babesia canis vogeli has been described as another parasite affecting canids (FARWELL et al, 1982). In Brazil, Passos et al (2005) described the detection and first molecular characterization of B. canis vogeli in dogs. The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the main vector of B. canis, and is usually found in urban endemic areas (LABRUNA; PEREIRA, 2001). Babesia canis can infect dogs of all ages and primarily affects erythrocytes where the parasite replication and subsequent cell lysis occur, but can involve multiple organs and can range from a relatively mild to a fatal peracute disease (LOBETTI, 1998). The disease is mainly characterized by hemolytic anemia but there are other variations such as fever, lethargy, anorexia, and splenomegaly (BOOZER; MACINTIRE, 2003)
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