title: Canine vector-borne disease in travelled dogs in Germany--a retrospective evaluation of laboratory data from the years 2004-2008.
abstract: When importing dogs from various Mediterranean countries into Western Europe canine vector-borne infections are often considered as a major issue. Several diseases including babesiosis, leishmaniosis, hepatozoonosis, canine heartworm disease or ehrlichiosis can potentially be endemic in this region and pose a potential health risk for travelling dogs. Information on such infections in travelled dogs is scarce and therefore this study has been undertaken to examine the frequency of vector-borne infections in travelled dogs from the years 2004-2008. A total of 997 samples were screened by direct and/or indirect methods. Total seroprevalence was 7.5% with individual seroprevalence for the 3 species Leishmania spp., Ehrlichia canis and Babesia canis spp. ranging from 3.1 to 4.9%. Total detection rate for pathogens by direct methods was 3.5%. Nineteen Giemsa-stained blood smears were positive for large Babesia. None of the samples screened for microfilariae by Knott's test or for Dirofilaria immitis antigen by DiroChek(®) were positive. Using PCR methods Leishmania-DNA was detected in 1/42 samples but none of 59 animals screened for E. canis-DNA was positive. The prevalence values as established by indirect and direct pathogen detection are considered as rather low.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Comparative Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Leopoldstr. 5, 80802 Munich, Germany. dietmar.hamel@tropa.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamel
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Röhrig
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pfister
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D007303:Insect Vectors; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014195:Travel