title: Molecular detection of Dirofilaria immitis, Hepatozoon canis, Babesia spp., Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis in dogs on Costa Rica.
abstract: Although vector-borne diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs in tropical areas, there is little information on these conditions in Costa Rica. In PCRs of blood from dogs in Costa Rica, we did not detect DNAs of Rickettsia (R.) felis and Coxiella (C.) burnetii but we did find evidence of infection with Dirofilaria (D.) immitis (9/40, 22.5%), Hepatozoon (H.) canis (15/40, 37.5%), Babesia spp. (10/40, 25%; 2 with B. gibsoni and 8 with B. vogeli), Anaplasma (A.) platys (3/40, 7.5%) and Ehrlichia (E.) canis (20/40, 50%). Nine dogs (22.5%) were free of any vector-borne pathogens while 14 (35%) were infected with a single pathogen, 11 (27.5%) with two, 4 (10%) with three, 1 (2.5%) with four, and 1 (2.5%) with five pathogens. Dogs in Costa Rica are commonly infected with vector-borne agents.
authors.forename: Lanjing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ackerson
authors.forename: Heba S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: El-Mahallawy
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaltenboeck
authors.forename: Chengming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004183:Dirofilaria immitis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014329:Tropical Climate