Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Anaplasma capra is an emerging zoonotic tick-borne pathogen with a broad host range, including many mammals. Dogs have close physical interactions with humans and regular contact with the external environment. Moreover, they have been previously reported to be hosts of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. platys, A. ovis, and A. bovis. To confirm whether dogs are also hosts of A. capra, pathogen DNA was extracted from blood samples of 521 dogs, followed by PCR amplification of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene, heat shock protein (groEL) gene, and major surface protein 4 (msp4) gene of the A. capra. A total of 12.1% (63/521) of blood samples were shown to be A. capra-positive by PCR screening. No significant differences were observed between genders (P = 0.578) or types (P = 0.154) of dogs with A. capra infections. However, significantly higher A. capra infections occurred in dogs with regular contact with vegetation (P = 0.002), those aged over 10 years (P = 0.040), and during the summer season (P = 0.006). Phylogenetic analysis based on gltA, groEL, and msp4 sequences demonstrated that the isolates obtained in this study were clustered within the A. capra clade, and were distinct from other Anaplasma species. In conclusion, dogs were shown to be a host of the human pathogenic A. capra. Considering the affinity between dogs and humans and the zoonotic tick-borne nature of A. capra, dogs should be carefully monitored for the presence of A. capra.
Highlights
Vector-borne diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs and are potentially of great public health importance because of their zoonotic nature and the role of pets as reservoirs (Xu et al, 2015; Cui et al, 2017; Maggi and Krämer, 2019)
A total of 63 of the 521 dog blood samples were A. capra-positive by PCR screening (12.1%, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs): 9.3–14.9)
The infection rates of A. capra in pet dogs and stray dogs were 12.9% (59/458, 95% CI: 9.8–16.0) and 6.3% (4/63, 95% CI: 0.2–12.5), respectively, There were no significant differences in the infection ratio of A. capra in pet dogs and stray dogs (P = 0.154) (Table 2)
Summary
Vector-borne diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs and are potentially of great public health importance because of their zoonotic nature and the role of pets as reservoirs (Xu et al, 2015; Cui et al, 2017; Maggi and Krämer, 2019). The phenomenon of all companion animals, especially dogs and cats, sharing the same environment as humans is long-standing (Fang et al, 2015; Cui et al, 2017), urbanization has affected the emergence and increasing incidence of tick-borne diseases (TBD) (Fang et al, 2015). Together, these changes in human activity and the increased contact between humans, their pets, and nature have contributed. They can act as good sentinels for human tickborne infections, suggesting that their role as hosts of ticks and tick-borne pathogens should be monitored (Hornok et al, 2013; Vlahakis et al, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
