title: Canine Orientia tsutsugamushi infection: report of a case and its epidemicity.
abstract: A lethargic household dog was referred to a private hospital in Japan. Diagnosis was carried out by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method developed for human Orientia tsutsugamushi infection using the dog's anticoagulated peripheral blood. Karp, Kato and Kuroki-type genomes were detected and the dog was diagnosed with O. tsutsugamushi infection. These findings demonstrate that dogs can act as a host for O. tsutsugamushi and the PCR method developed for human beings can be used for the diagnosis of canine O. tsutsugamushi infection. A concurrent epidemiological study examined 10 asymptomatic dogs that were fed in the same area as the sick dog. Kuroki-type genome in all dogs, Gilliam-type genome in 6 dogs and Kawasaki-type genome in 3 dogs were detected. These results provide further evidence that dogs can be naturally infected with O. tsutsugamushi outdoors and that dogs play a role as a host in the lifecycle of O. tsutsugamushi.
authors: Kazuhiko
authors: K
authors: Namikawa
authors: Atsushi
authors: A
authors: Tanabe
authors: Saki
authors: S
authors: Satake
authors: Hiromi
authors: H
authors: Enishi
authors: Hiroko
authors: H
authors: Kusaka
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Ide
authors: Sakurako
authors: S
authors: Neo
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Lynch
authors: Kensuke
authors: K
authors: Orito
authors: Tatsushi
authors: T
authors: Morita
authors: Hiroeki
authors: H
authors: Sahara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D004285:Dogs; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012285:Orientia tsutsugamushi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012612:Scrub Typhus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*