Abstract

BackgroundInformation on the status of vector-borne pathogens among canines in Northeast India is lacking, particularly for the states of Mizoram and Tripura close to the Myanmar border. Blood samples collected from 130 dogs, 80 from Mizoram and 50 from Tripura, were examined in this study.MethodsPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed for filariid worms, Babesia, Hepatozoon, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp. and DNA sequencing was then carried out to identify pathogens at the species level.ResultsVector-borne pathogens were detected in 52% (68/130) of the sampled dogs. The most prevalent pathogen was Babesia gibsoni detected in 56/130 (43%) dogs, followed by Hepatozoon canis in 50/130 (38%), Anaplasma platys in 4/130 (3%), B. vogeli in 4/130 (3%), Acanthochelionema reconditum in 3/130 (2%) and Dirofilaria immitis in 2/130 (2%). Forty-four dogs (34%) were co-infected with two or more pathogens. The most common co-infection observed was with B. gibsoni + H. canis (34%) followed by triple-infection with B. gibsoni + H. canis + A. platys (3%), and B. gibsoni + B. vogeli + H. canis (3%). The infection rate was higher in Mizoram (58%) than in Tripura (44%).ConclusionsThe high prevalence of infection in the studied dog population, especially with B. gibsoni and H. canis, indicates that vector-borne diseases pose a serious threat to the health of dogs in this area of Northeast India. Prevention of vector-borne diseases by using topical acaricides and heartworm preventative treatment would be of great benefit for reducing the threat of vector-borne diseases in the study area.

Highlights

  • Information on the status of vector-borne pathogens among canines in Northeast India is lacking, par‐ ticularly for the states of Mizoram and Tripura close to the Myanmar border

  • There was no significant difference in the prevalence of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD) agents among the different age groups (Chi-square test, χ2 = 3.059, df = 2, P = 0.217)

  • The results of this study indicate that CVBD agents are very frequent among dogs suspected of vector-borne infection in the Northeast Region (NER) of India

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Summary

Introduction

Information on the status of vector-borne pathogens among canines in Northeast India is lacking, par‐ ticularly for the states of Mizoram and Tripura close to the Myanmar border. The Northeast Region (NER) of India includes eight States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim (Fig. 1). The climate in this area ranges from subtropical to temperate and the terrain is mostly mountainous. Despite the importance of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD), molecular-based studies on CVBD prevalence in dogs from different states of the NER are lacking. Such information is a prerequisite for designing appropriate strategies for disease control.

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