title: Exposure of dogs to spotted fever group rickettsiae in urban sites associated with human rickettsioses in Costa Rica.
abstract: The zoonotic transmission cycles of Rickettsia rickettsii and other spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae in Latin America have usually been associated with rural or sylvatic environments, although domestic dogs can be implicated in more populated settings. In this study, exposure of dogs to SFG rickettsiae in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica was investigated. Dogs from sites associated with human cases and from dog shelters were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using antigen of SFG rickettsiae. Rickettsia spp. were detected in ectoparasites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total 18.5% (31/168) of dogs associated with human cases and 6.8% (11/161) of dogs in shelters had IgG end titers≥64 to Rickettsia spp. The odds of being seropositive were greater in dogs from areas associated with human cases when compared to shelters (OR: 3.2; 95% C.I: 1.5-5.6). Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s. l.) was present in all sites associated with human cases. Rickettsia felis URRWXCal2 and R. felis-like RF2125 were detected in Ctenocephalides felis, and Rickettsia sp. IbR/CRC in Ixodes boliviensis. Results demonstrate that dogs from the main urban center of Costa Rica have been exposed to SFG rickettsiae, especially in areas with known human infection. Both human and animal health sectors must be aware of possible rickettsial diseases in urban areas, where dogs may also serve as sentinels for human infection.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Sección de Virología, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira-Soto
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Laboratorio Clínico, Hospital Enrique Baltodano Briceño, Liberia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Marco V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Carranza
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Sección de Virología, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Lizeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Sección de Entomología Médica, Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Olger
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Calderón-Arguedas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Sección de Virología, Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Laya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hun
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica; Sección de Entomología Médica, Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. Electronic address: adriana.troyo@ucr.ac.cr.
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Troyo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D058251:Ctenocephalides / Q000469:parasitology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D018884:Ixodes / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000469:parasitology; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012373:Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Costa Rica; Dog; Rickettsia; Rocky mountain spotted fever; Urban environment