Detection of Anaplasmataceae agents and co-infection with other tick-borne protozoa in dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2018
Abstract
Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are of serious health concern worldwide for animals and humans. In the present study, we report the occurrence of Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis in dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) ticks from Peninsular Malaysia using a nested polymerase chain reaction assay based on amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. Anaplasma platys was detected from dogs and ticks with prevalence rates of 3.3% (8/240) and 2.9% (4/140), respectively. On the other hand, 12.9% (31/240) of the dogs and 0.7% (1/140) of the ticks were tested positive for E. canis. Additionally, co-infections of A. platys and E. canis with Babesia or Hepatozoon protozoa were also noted in this study. Double infection (E. canis + B. gibsoni) was observed in tick, whereas triple infections (E. canis + A. platys + B. vogeli and E. canis + A. platys + H. canis) were found in dogs. This study represents the first evidence of A. platys DNA in R. sanguineus s.l. in Malaysia.
Keywords
Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Infectious diseases, Malaysia, Ticks
Divisions
fac_med,InstituteofBiologicalSciences
Funders
University of Malaya Research Grants (BK097-2016, RU005-2017, and PG098-2016A)
Publication Title
Experimental and Applied Acarology
Volume
75
Issue
4
Publisher
Springer