Prevalence of zoonotic mosquito-borne and tick-borne pathogens in domestic dogs from Lithuania

Abstract

The incidence of vector-borne diseases has been reported to have increased worldwide in recent years, seriously threatening human and animal health. During the past decade, vector-borne diseases have been continuously spreading in Baltic countries including Lithuania. Information on canine vector-borne disease (CVBD) agents at the local and regional levels allows veterinarians to better recognize the pathogens that can affect dogs, thus facilitating diagnosis and treatment. Dogs could be infected with a large number of different CVBD agents such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia spp. and Dirofilaria spp. The filarioid nematodes Dirofilaria transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes have zoonotic significance, therefore accurate identification of Dirofilaria species in dogs is clinically important. Tick-borne diseases have great medical importance worldwide and affect dogs health through the transmission of pathogens by blood sucking Ixodidae ticks. The geographic distribution of infected ticks has expanded because of bird migration, environmental and climatic changes. Infection with A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp. in dogs is mostly asymptomatic or characterized by nonspecific clinical signs, therefore especially important to use appropriate methods for early diagnosis of pathogens. The aim of the present study was to investigate the presence of mosquito and tick-borne pathogens in domestic dogs using molecular DNA analysis methods. In total 193 blood samples were collected from domestic dogs in Lithuania during 2016-2018. DNA was isolated from EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood. Partial internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene were used as targets in PCR for detection of canine microfilariae. For detection of A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp. DNA was used real-time PCR.[...]Biologijos katedraGamtos mokslų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta