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- Title
Does co-infection with vector-borne pathogens play a role in clinical canine leishmaniosis?
- Authors
Baxarias, Marta; Álvarez-Fernández, Alejandra; Martínez-Orellana, Pamela; Montserrat-Sangrà, Sara; Ordeix, Laura; Rojas, Alicia; Nachum-Biala, Yaarit; Baneth, Gad; Solano-Gallego, Laia
- Abstract
Background: The severity of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) due to <italic>Leishmania infantum</italic> might be affected by other vector-borne organisms that mimic its clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities. The aim of this study was to determine co-infections with other vector-borne pathogens based on serological and molecular techniques in dogs with clinical leishmaniosis living in Spain and to associate them with clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities as well as disease severity. Methods: Sixty-one dogs with clinical leishmaniosis and 16 apparently healthy dogs were tested for <italic>Rickettsia conorii</italic>, <italic>Ehrlichia canis</italic>, <italic>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</italic> and <italic>Bartonella henselae</italic> antigens by the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and for <italic>E. canis</italic>, <italic>Anaplasma</italic> spp., <italic>Hepatozoon</italic> spp., <italic>Babesia</italic> spp. and filarioid DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Among the dogs examined by IFAT, the seroprevalences were: 69% for <italic>R. conorii</italic>, 57% for <italic>E. canis</italic>, 44% for <italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> and 37% for <italic>B. henselae</italic>; while the prevalences found by PCR were: 8% for <italic>Ehrlichia</italic>/<italic>Anaplasma</italic>, 3% for <italic>Anaplasma platys</italic> and 1% for <italic>H. canis</italic>. No other pathogen DNA was detected. Statistical association was found between dogs with clinical leishmaniosis and seroreactivity to <italic>R. conorii</italic> antigen (Fisher’s exact test: <italic>P</italic> = 0.025, OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1–17) and <italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> antigen (Fisher’s exact test: <italic>P</italic> = 0.002, OR = 14.3, 95% CI = 2–626) and being positive to more than one serological or molecular tests (co-infections) (Mann-Whitney test: <italic>U</italic> = 243, <italic>Z</italic> = -2.6, <italic>n</italic><italic>1</italic> = 14, <italic>n</italic><italic>2</italic> = 61, <italic>P</italic> = 0.01) when compared with healthy dogs. Interestingly, a statistical association was found between the presence of <italic>R. conorii</italic>, <italic>E. canis</italic>, <italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> and <italic>B. henselae</italic> antibodies in sick dogs and some clinicopathological abnormalities such as albumin and albumin/globulin ratio decrease and increase in serum globulins. Furthermore, seroreactivity with <italic>A. phagocytophilum</italic> antigens was statistically associated with CanL clinical stages III and IV. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that dogs with clinical leishmaniosis from Catalonia (Spain) have a higher rate of co-infections with other vector-borne pathogens when compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, positivity to some vector-borne pathogens was associated with more marked clinicopathological abnormalities as well as disease severity with CanL.
- Subjects
LEISHMANIASIS in dogs; LEISHMANIA infantum; PATHOGENIC protozoa; MIXED infections; RICKETTSIA conorii; EHRLICHIA; ANAPLASMA phagocytophilum
- Publication
Parasites & Vectors, 2018, Vol 11, p1
- ISSN
1756-3305
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s13071-018-2724-9