Antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae in dogs in Croatia.
The prevalence of IgG antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae was studied by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay in a sample of 194 canine sera from different parts of Croatia. Dogs (n = 141) from urban and suburban-semirural environs from the middle part of the eastern coast of Adriatic sea, and dogs (n = 53) from Zagreb, the capital of Croatia located in the northern continental part of Croatia, were tested. The total of 88 (62.4%) dogs from southern coastal Croatia had antibodies to Rickettsia conorii, with a significantly higher prevalence (69.9%) in suburban-semirural areas. The prevalence rate of antibodies to Rickettsia conorii in canine sera from urban environment in the north of Croatia was 20.7%. The results show that the members of spotted fever group rickettsiae are present in both coastal and continental Croatia.
Department of Microbiology, Medical School University of Zagreb, Split, Croatia.
V
V
Punda-Polić
N
N
Bradarić
Z
Z
Klismanić-Nuber
V
V
Mrljak
M
M
Giljanović
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000276:immunology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G