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. 2015 Oct 1:8:501.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-1120-y.

Molecular detection of vector-borne agents in dogs from ten provinces of China

Da Xu  1 , Jilei Zhang  2 , Zhengsheng Shi  3 , Chunlian Song  4 , Xiaofeng Zheng  5 , Yi Zhang  6 , Yongqing Hao  7 , Haiju Dong  8 , Lanjing Wei  9 , Heba S El-Mahallawy  10   11 , Patrick Kelly  12 , Wenbin Xiong  13 , Heng Wang  14 , Jianji Li  15 , Xinjun Zhang  16 , Jianhong Gu  17 , Chengming Wang  18
Affiliations

Molecular detection of vector-borne agents in dogs from ten provinces of China

Da Xu et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: Although many vector-borne agents are potential zoonoses and cause substantial morbidity and mortality in dogs worldwide, there are limited data on these organisms in dogs of China.

Methods: Quantitative PCRs for vector-borne agents were performed to investigate their prevalences in convenience whole blood samples obtained from 1114 dogs from 21 veterinary clinics and a commercial dog breeding facility in ten provinces of China. In addition, the PCRs were performed on 146 Rhipicephalus sanguineus senso lato and 37 Linognathus setosus collected from dogs in the commercial dog breeding facility.

Results: DNAs of Babesia gibsoni and B. vogeli (1.2 %), Ehrlichia canis (1.3 %), Hepatozoon canis (1.8 %) and Theileria orientalis (0.1 %) or a closely related organism were detected in the bloods of the dogs studied, and Babesia vogeli (3.4 %) and Ehrlichia canis (4.1 %) in R. sanguineus senso lato. The qPCRs for Anaplasma spp., Dirofilaria immitis and Leishmania spp. were negative for all blood samples, ticks and lice. At least one vector-borne agent was found in dogs from 5 of the 10 provinces investigated in this study. Overall, 4.4 % (49/1117) of the dogs studied were positive for at least one vector-borne agent with the prevalence being highest in the commercial breeding colony (24/97; 24.7 %).

Conclusions: Our study confirms that B. vogeli, B. gibsoni, H. canis, and E. canis occur in China. Also, we present evidence that T. orientalis or a closely related organism can infect dogs.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevalences of 4 vector-borne agents in 10 provinces of China. Dog blood samples (1114) were collected from ten provinces (in bisque) of China. The prevalences are shown for Babesia vogeli (red), B. gibsoni (black), Hepatozoon canis (green) and Ehrlichia canis (blue) in different colors
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