title: A transversal study on antibodies against selected pathogens in dromedary camels in the Canary Islands, Spain.
abstract: The Canary Islands contain the most important dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) population in the European Union and are the main export point of dromedaries to continental Europe and Latin America. We investigated the presence of antibodies against relevant disease agents in 100 Canarian camel sera. Selected blood samples of the same animals were also tested by PCR. Sera were tested for antibodies against Bluetongue virus (BTV; 0%), Bovine Viral Diarrhoea virus (BVDV; 0%), Camelpox virus (CPV; 8% by serum neutralization, 16% by ELISA), Peste des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV, 0%), Rift Valley Fever virus (RVFV; 0%) and West Nile Fever virus (WNV; 3%), the bacterial pathogens Anaplasma sp. (3%), Brucella sp. (1%), Coxiella burnetii (19%), Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP; 22%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC; 10%) and Rickettsia sp. (83%), and the parasites Toxoplasma gondii (36%) and Neospora caninum (86%). The most remarkable findings were the detection of antibodies against CPV and the high antibody prevalence against C. burnetii, Rickettsia sp., T. gondii and N. caninum. By PCR, we found no C. burnetii, N. caninum and Anaplasma sp. DNA in the tested samples. However, Rickettsia sp. DNA was detected in six antibody positive tested samples. These results should be taken into consideration in order to implement adequate control measures and avoid a potential dissemination of infections to other territories.
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mentaberre
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Noé F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Sunitha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: González-Barrio
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cabezón
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortazar
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boadella
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002162:Camelus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Bacteria; Dromedary camel; Parasite; Serosurvey; Virus