title: Prevalence of ehrlichial infection among dogs and ticks in Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: This study investigated the epidemiology of canine ehrlichiosis in Northeastern Brazil, focusing the identification of the Ehrlichia species and vectors involved. Samples were collected from 472 domestic dogs residing in the health districts of Cajazeiras and Itapuã of Salvador city. The average prevalence of antibodies reactive to E. canis by immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) (titer ≥ 1:80) was 35.6% (168/472). Blood samples from the E. canis-seropositive animals were tested by nested PCR in order to identify the Ehrlichia species responsible for the infection. Among the seropositives, 58 (34.5%) were found to be PCR-positive for E. canis. Ticks were found in 32 dogs. Nested-PCR analysis showed that 21.9% (7/32) of the Rhipicephalus sanguineus were infected by E. canis. In both dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus, nested-PCR for E. ewingii and E. chaffeensis was negative, with no amplification of DNA fragment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Infectologia Veterinária --LIVE, Departamento de Produção Animal, Escola de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal da Bahia – UFBA.
authors.forename: Bárbara Maria Paraná da Silva
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Danielle Custódio
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: Débora Cristina Portela Medina
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Barboza
authors.forename: Rosângela Soares
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Uzêda
authors.forename: Adriano Costa
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: De Alcântara
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Marcelo Bahia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary*