title: Survey of Ehrlichia canis, Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. in dogs from a semiarid region of Brazil.
abstract: This study assessed the occurrence of Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. infections in 100 tick-harboring dogs from a semiarid region of the State of Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. Blood samples and ticks were collected from the animals, and a questionnaire was submitted to dog owners to obtain general data. Blood samples were used to perform hemogram, direct blood smear and immunological and molecular hemoparasite detection. The 1,151 ticks collected were identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus; direct smears revealed E. canis-like morulae in the monocytes of 4% (4/100) of the non-vaccinated female dogs, and 34% and 25% of the dogs tested positive for Ehrlichia canis by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. Blood smear examination revealed Babesia-suggestive merozoites in the erythrocytes of 2% (2/100) of the animals. Babesia vogeli was detected by PCR in ten animals (10%) and was correlated with young age (p = 0.007) and thrombocytopenia (p = 0.01). None of the animals showed Hepatozoon spp. positivity. These results indicate that E. canis is the main tick-borne canine pathogen in the study area and provide the first report of B. vogeli infection in dogs from Paraiba State.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Tereza Emmanuelle de Farias
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Rotondano
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Herta Karyanne Araújo
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Felipe da Silva
authors.initials: Fda S
authors.lastname: Krawczak
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Vanessa Lira
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ivana Fernandes
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Bahia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Santos
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: de Azevedo
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Recife, PE, Brasil.
authors.forename: Alzira Maria Paiva
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ade lmeida
authors.affiliation: Unidade Acadêmica de Medicina Veterinária, Centro de Saúde e Tecnologia Rural, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Patos, PB, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcia Almeida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Melo
mesh_terms: D056893:Alveolata / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D001403:Babesia / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002980:Climate; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D041061:Ehrlichia canis / Q000276:immunology; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan