Epidemiological survey of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs in eastern Japan.
To determine the distribution of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs in the eastern part of Japan, an epidemiological survey of dogs suspected of having B. gibsoni infection was attempted using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-five of 115 such dogs (30.4%) were positive by PCR and/or ELISA. The 35 positive dogs consisted of 28 Tosa dogs, 4 American Pit Bull Terriers, and 3 mongrel dogs in Aomori, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Gunma, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Nagano Prefectures. The positive dogs had a significantly lower rate of tick exposure and a higher rate of bites by other dogs. Twenty-two of 35 B. gibsoni-positive dogs were infected with hemoplasma, and the rate of infection was significantly higher than that of B. gibsoni-negative dogs.
Miyama
Takako
T
Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan.
Sakata
Yoshimi
Y
Shimada
Yojiro
Y
Ogino
Shoji
S
Watanabe
Malaika
M
Itamoto
Kazuhito
K
Okuda
Masaru
M
Verdida
Rodolfo A
RA
Xuan
Xuenan
X
Nagasawa
Hideyuki
H
Inokuma
Hisashi
H
D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan