First serological evidence of infections with selected vector-borne pathogens in dogs in Kosovo
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ARTHROPODS AND MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY - SHORT COMMUNICATION
First serological evidence of infections with selected vector-borne pathogens in dogs in Kosovo Arben Sinani 1 & Hamdi Aliu 1
&
Fatgzim Latifi 1 & Imer Haziri 1 & Betim Xhekaj 1 & Helge Kampen 2 & Kurtesh Sherifi 1
Received: 31 May 2020 / Accepted: 17 September 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Canine vector-borne pathogens are a group of widespread microorganisms and nematodes transmitted by arthropods that do not only impact dog health but may also pose a health risk to humans as many of them are zoonotic. As no data exist on the presence of canine vector-borne pathogens in Kosovo, we here present a first study on the seroprevalence of selected vector-borne pathogens, the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and the bacteria Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The study was carried out from July to October 2019 in all regions of Kosovo and included 149 clinically healthy dogs (84 owned, 40 sheltered and 25 free-ranging). Blood samples collected from each individual were tested using a commercially available rapid multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In total, 37.6% of the examined dogs were seropositive for one or more of the target pathogens. Most frequently, antibodies were found against Anaplasma spp. (24.8% of the dogs tested), followed by antigen detection of D. immitis (14.8%) and antibodies of B. burgdorferi s.l. (1.3%). The lowest antibody prevalence (0.7%) showed E. canis where only one dog was found positive. This preliminary study demonstrates the circulation of several zoonotic vector-borne pathogens in natural cycles involving dogs in Kosovo. It should trigger studies on infection prevalences in humans and initiate vector surveillance programmes in order to manage and control transmission and the diseases associated with the pathogens. Keywords Canine vector-borne pathogens . Dirofilaria immitis . Anaplasma spp. . Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. . Ehrlichia spp. . Kosovo
Introduction Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are a large group of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms and helminths transmitted by hematophagous arthropods. The bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. and the dirofilarial worm Dirofilaria immitis may have a significant impact on the health status of dogs and are among the major canine vectorArben Sinani and Fatgzim Latifi contributed equally to this work. Handling Editor: Julia Walochnik * Hamdi Aliu [email protected] 1
Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Prishtina, Kosovo
2
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Insel Riems, Greifswald, Germany
borne pathogens (CVBPs) (Otranto et al. 2009a, b; Beugnet and Marie 2009; Day 2011). Depending on their pathogenicity, the infective dose and the presence of single or multiple infections, CVBPs may cause a wide variety of clinical manifestations, rangi
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