title: Altitude-Dependent Prevalence of Canine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in Romania.
abstract: Canine granulocytic anaplasmosis (CGA) is an important tick-borne disease with worldwide distribution. The importance of this disease resides in the ability of Anaplasma phagocytophilum to infect humans and several animal species. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence rate of CGA in different altitudinal areas of Romania. A total of 357 canine blood samples were collected during 2010-2013 from eight counties. To assess the influence of the altitude on A. phagocytophilum prevalence, the samples were collected from four different altitude areas (coastal 0-5 meters; lowland 6-100 meters; hilly areas 200-300 meters; low mountain areas >500 meters). These samples were evaluated for the presence of A. phagocytophilum DNA by amplifying part of the Ankyrin repeat protein (AnkA) gene. A higher prevalence was obtained for coastal compared with remaining areas, suggesting an influence of altitude on the CGA. Moreover, the results suggest an influence of climate and rainfall. In the present research work, we highlight the risk of granulocytic anaplasmosis in Central and Southern Romania, with a greater risk associated to Southern lowland region, especially in coastal areas. The importance of these results resides in the zoonotic potential of the canine A. phagocytophilum strains. In conclusion, the altitude and precipitation level may be risk factors for A. phagocytophilum infection in dogs and other hosts, including humans.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Ioana Adriana
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Matei
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Angela Monica
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ionică
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corduneanu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Aikaterini Alexandra
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Daskalaki
authors.affiliation: 2 School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly , Iolcus, Thessaly, Greece .
authors.forename: Menelaos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lefkaditis
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
authors.forename: Andrei Daniel
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mihalca
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000145:classification; D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Romania; altitude; climate; dogs