Epidemiological survey of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in pet dogs in south-eastern China.

Jinlin Zhou,Jianwei Zhang,Qingbiao Liu,Wanmeng Li,Frédéric Beugnet,Demou Wang

doi:10.1051/parasite/2017036

Abstract

To understand the epidemiology of tick infestation and tick-borne diseases in pet dogs in south-eastern China and to develop a reference for their prevention and treatment, we collected 1550 ticks parasitizing 562 dogs in 122 veterinary clinics from 20 cities of south-eastern China. Dogs were tested for common tick-borne pathogens; collected ticks were identified and processed for the detection of tick-borne pathogens. The use of an in vitro ELISA diagnostic kit for antibody detection (SNAP®4Dx® Plus) on dog sera found the infection rates with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia canis, and Anaplasma spp. to be 0.4%, 1.3% and 2.7%, respectively. By using a specific ELISA method, the infection rate with Babesia gibsoni was 3.9%. Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides were the major tick species identified on pet dogs. PCR tests were conducted to detect five tick-borne pathogens in 617 ticks. The infection rate was 10.2% for E. canis, 3.4% for Anaplasma platys, 2.3% for B. gibsoni, 0.3% for B. burgdorferi s.l. and 0% for Babesia canis. Some ticks were co-infected with two (1.46%) or three pathogens (0.16%). These results indicate the infestation of pet dogs by ticks infected with tick-borne pathogens in south-eastern China, and the need for effective treatment and routine prevention of tick infestations in dogs.

Highlights

The number of pet dogs is increasing in China as living standards have improved
The increase in the pet dog population and their close relationship with humans in China has created the need for research into the epidemiological status of ticks and the pathogens they transmit to pet dogs
Dominant ticks reported in dogs in China are Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides [7,8]; the common tickborne agents found in dogs in China included Ehrlichia canis, Babesia gibsoni, and Anaplasma species [7,9,10,11]

Summary

Introduction

The number of pet dogs is increasing in China as living standards have improved. As in many other countries, the dog has become a bonded family member. Ticks are one of the most common ectoparasites in dogs and are involved in the transmission of a number of major diseases in both dogs and humans [3,4]. Dominant ticks reported in dogs in China are Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides [7,8]; the common tickborne agents found in dogs in China included Ehrlichia canis, Babesia gibsoni, and Anaplasma species [7,9,10,11]. Molecular detection has indicated mixed infections with tick-borne Anaplasma species in dogs in Henan, China [9] and Ehrlichia canis, and Babesia spp. in dogs in some cities of China [8]. We carried out a broader epidemiological survey covering south-eastern China that included 122 veterinary clinics to confirm and expand on the data reported to date

Methods

Results

Conclusion