Fifth European Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus Days (FiEDAD) 2016

Peer reviewe

Does co-infection with vector-borne pathogens play a role in clinical canine leishmaniosis?

The severity of canine leishmaniosis (CanL) due to Leishmania infantum 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. Sixty-one dogs with clinical leishmaniosis and 16 apparently healthy dogs were tested for Rickettsia conorii, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Bartonella henselae antigens by the immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and for E. canis, Anaplasma spp., Hepatozoon spp., Babesia spp. and filarioid DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the dogs examined by IFAT, the seroprevalences were: 69% for R. conorii, 57% for E. canis, 44% for A. phagocytophilum and 37% for B. henselae ; while the prevalences found by PCR were: 8% for Ehrlichia / Anaplasma, 3% for Anaplasma platys and 1% for H. canis. No other pathogen DNA was detected. Statistical association was found between dogs with clinical leishmaniosis and seroreactivity to R. conorii antigen (Fisher's exact test: P = 0.025, OR = 4.1, 95% CI = 1-17) and A. phagocytophilum antigen (Fisher's exact test: P = 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: U = 243, Z = -2.6, n = 14, n = 61, P = 0.01) when compared with healthy dogs. Interestingly, a statistical association was found between the presence of R. conorii, E. canis, A. phagocytophilum and B. henselae antibodies in sick dogs and some clinicopathological abnormalities such as albumin and albumin/globulin ratio decrease and increase in serum globulins. Furthermore, seroreactivity with A. phagocytophilum antigens was statistically associated with CanL clinical stages III and IV. 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

Correction: The mitochondrial genomes of the zoonotic canine filarial parasites dirofilaria (nochtiella) repens and candidatus dirofilaria (nochtiella) honkongensis provide evidence for presence of cryptic species (PLoS Negl Trop Dis., (2016) 10, 1, 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005028)

The title currently is The Mitochondrial Genomes of the Zoonotic Canine Filarial Parasites Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) repens and Candidatus Dirofilaria (Nochtiella) Honkongensis Provide Evidence for Presence of Cryptic Species. The title contains spelling errors and should be corrected to: The Mitochondrial Genomes of the Zoonotic Canine Filarial ParasitesDirofilaria (Nochtiella)repensandCandidatusDirofilaria (Nochtiella) hongkongensis Provide Evidence for Presence of Cryptic Species. The affiliation of the 10th author, Tran Anh Le, is currently Department of Parasitology, Viet Nam Veterinary Medical University, Ha Noi, Viet Nam. The correct affiliation of the 10th author, Tran Anh Le, is Department of Parasitology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam. In the manuscript, there is reference to canine blood samples used to amplify partial mitochondrial DNA sequences of the putative species Dirofilaria sp. "Thailand II". This is incorrect. It should be noted that the samples came from cats and not dogs