Abstract
Occurrence of infection or exposure to Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis and Rickettsia spp. was detected in feral cats living in two fragments from Atlantic rainforest, in Natal, RN, Brazil, and in dogs living around the parks. While serum samples were collected from 155 animals (53 cats living in the parks; 29 dogs living in human homes around the parks; and 73 dogs living at an animal control center - ACC), spleen samples were collected from 20 dogs that were euthanized at ACC. Serum samples were analyzed to Rickettsia spp. and E. canis antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescence assay. Seventeen of the 102 dogs (17%) had E. canis antibodies and 13% (20/155) of all dogs and cats (i.e. 3% (3/102) of the dogs and 32% (17/53) of the cats) were seropositive for Rickettsia spp. antigens. The animals were therefore been exposed to R. amblyommatis or by a very closely related genotype. Among the 20 dog spleen samples analyzed, eight were PCR positive for E. canis and two for H. canis (GenBank accession number MG772657 and MG772658, respectively). In none of the spleen samples were obtained amplicons for Babesia spp. through PCR. This study provided the first evidence that Rickettsia of the spotted fever group is circulating among dogs and cats in Natal.
Highlights
Dogs and cats are very popular as pets around the world and can be reservoirs for many microorganisms
We attempted to detect the occurrence of Babesia spp., Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis and Rickettsia spp. in feral cats living in two forest fragments located in the Atlantic Rainforest biome, in the municipality of Natal, state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, and in dogs living around the parks and in other regions of the city
Between October 2012 and August 2013, four campaigns were conducted, and serum samples were collected from 155 animals: 53 feral cats (Felis catus) living in the parks; 29 dogs (Canis familiaris) living in human homes around the parks; and 73 dogs at the Animal Control Center (ACC)
Summary
Dogs and cats are very popular as pets around the world and can be reservoirs for many microorganisms. The information on clinical signs showing by cats infected by tick-borne agents remains contradictory and requires further characterization (FRITZ & KJEMTRUP, 2003; SHAW et al, 2001). These agents have been reported infecting dogs in many parts of Brazil at wide ranges of occurrence and prevalence rates (COSTA et al, 2015; MIRANDA et al, 2014; KRAWCZAK et al, 2012; RAMOS et al, 2010; ROTONDANO et al, 2015, 2017; SAITO et al, 2008; SILVA et al, 2010; VIEIRA et al, 2011). Definition of the reservoirs and vectors involved in the transmission routes is an important step towards prevention of zoonoses
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