Seroepidemiology of Canine Visceral Leishmaniosis in Kerman City, 2011

Abstract: Background & Aims: Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) is a sporadic disease in many provinces of Iran, while it is considered endemic in other parts. This study was designed to assess the seroprevalence of canine VL in the Kerman city. Methods: Samples were randomly selected from the referred household dogs to the veterinary hospital of Shahid Bahonar university, Kerman, Iran and stray dogs, euthanized by Kerman municipality. Blood samples were taken after complete clinical examination. All collected sera were tested by a commercial indirect ELISA kit for the presence of anti Leishmania infantum antibodies. In addition, complete blood count tests were performed in all dogs to detect hematological alterations. Collected data were analyzed through SPSS software and using ?2 and fishers’ exact tests. Results: The overall seroprevalence was 7.03%, which was calculated 11.1% in stray dogs. Seroprevalence of disease was significantly higher in dogs over 5 years old in comparison to younger dogs (P<0.01). Seroprevalence had no significant relationship with sex and hematological alterations. Conclusion: Although the seroprevalence of canine VL in Kerman city was less than that in endemic parts, stray dogs could be a potential risk factor for public health in this area. Further complementary ecological studies on vectors and reservoirs in different areas of Kerman province seem to be necessary. Keywords: Leishmaniosis, Visceral, Serology, Kerma

Molecular Evidences of Ehrlichiosis as an Emerging Zoonotic Disease in Kerman City

Abstract: Background and Aims: Ehrlichiosis is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by the gram-negative coccid obligate intracellular bacteria of the family Anaplasmataceae. Since the only available evidence in regard to monocytic Ehrlichiosis in Iran is related to dogs, the present study was designed to use the polymerase chain reaction assay for confirming the presence of Ehrlichia spp. in tick infested client-owned dogs in Kerman. Methods: Blood samples were prepared randomly from 100 owned tick infested dogs regardless of clinical status. Complete blood count was done for each sample and in the next step, DNA extraction was done and PCR was carried out by a commercial kit. Results: Six of 100 (6%) examined dogs were positive for Ehrlichia spp. based on PCR. Conclusion: Results of the present study confirmed the presence of Ehrlichiosis as an emerging zoonotic disease in Iran and dogs could be considered as a main reservoir for the disease. It is recommended to determine the prevalence of Ehrlichiosis and the most prevalent Ehrlichia species in animal reservoirs, vectors, and human population in different geographical regions of Iran in further epidemiological studies. Keywords: Ehrlichiosis, Dogs, Polymerase chain Reaction, Tick-borne disease

Detection of zoonotic diarrheagenic pathotypes of escherichia coli in healthy household dogs

Background and Objectives: Intestinal pathotypes of Escherichia coli belong to the companion animals may poses potential risk to public health following zoonotic transmission. Therefore, this study was proposed to determine the virulence genes associated to diarrheagenic E. coli strains isolated from healthy pet dogs and their owners in the southeast of Iran, Kerman province. Materials and Methods: Totally 168 E. coli isolates were collected from 49 healthy household dogs and their owners. Seventy isolates were obtained from non-pet owners as control group. Presence or absence of the virulence genes including eae, stx1, stx2, st1, lt1, ipaH, cnf1 and cnf2 were screened by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dissemination pattern of the genes were studied among the various hosts. Results: PCR examinations showed that the most frequent virulence gene was ipaH (6.1) in dogs followed by eae in dog owners (6.1) and in controls (8.6). The most frequent pathotypes in dogs, their owners and controls were EIEC (6.1), EHEC (4.08) and EPEC (8.5), respectively. In one of studied houses, both of dog and its owner harbored E. coli strains with same virulence profile (stx1/eae) and pathotype (EHEC). Conclusion: These results collectively indicate that healthy household dogs probably are the mild reservoir of potential virulent E. coli strains with possible active transmission to their contact owner. However, even non-pet owners seemed to be a notable source of intestinal pathotypes, especially EPEC, for their environment. Transmission of E. coli pathotypes may occurs by direct contact with the reservoirs or ingestion of contaminated food. These pathotypes are potentially virulent and creates public health hazards. Further studies are needed for better understanding of dissemination mechanisms of E. coli pathotypes among humans and their pets. © 2020, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved