Important frequency of Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in a population of domiciled dogs in an urbanized area in south-eastern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Silveira,Júlia A.G.
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Reis,Ilka A., Estevam,Letícia G.T.M., Pinto,Marina C.C., Zweygarth,Erich, Passos,Lygia M.F., Paz,Gustavo F.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-736X2017000900958
• topic: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; dogs; canine anaplasmosis; epidemiology; IFAT; PCR

ABSTRACT: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is responsible for granulocytic anaplasmosis in humans and various animal species. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum-infected dogs in a residential area of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A total of 62 dogs were submitted to serological (indirect fluorescent-antibody -IFI) and molecular (PCR) tests. Anti-A. phagocytophilum antibodies were detected in 43.8% of the dogs. Seven dogs (10.9%) were PCR-positive for the msp4 gene, six and four of these were positive for the for the msp2/p44 gene of A. phagocytophilum and 16S rRNA region of granulocytic Anaplasmataceae respectively. This study confirms a relatively high frequency of A. phagocytophilum infection in a population of domiciled dogs in an urbanized area in south-eastern Brazil and highlights the need for further studies on the role of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks in the transmission of this bacterium to dogs in urban Brazilian areas.