The role of healthy dog carriers of Babesia microti-like piroplasms

• Published in: Parasites & vectors 2019-03, Vol.12 (1), p.127-127, Article 127
• Main Authors: Checa, Rocío, Fidalgo, Luis Eusebio, Montoya, Ana, López, Ana María, Barrera, Juan Pedro, Gálvez, Rosa, Sánchez de la Nieta, Sara, Marino, Valentina, Sarquis, Juliana, Miró, Guadalupe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Arachnids; Babesia canis; Babesia microti; Babesia microti-like piroplasm; Babesiosis; Babesiosis - epidemiology; Babesiosis - transmission; Blood; Blood tests; Canine piroplasmosis; Carnivores; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - veterinary; Disease transmission; DNA; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - parasitology; Dog Diseases - transmission; Dogfighting; Dogs; Endemic species; Epidemiology; Female; Foxes; Geographical distribution; Health aspects; Health risks; Healthy dog carriers; Hunting; Infection; Infections; Infestation; Male; Microscopy; Molecular Typing; Northwestern Spain; Nucleotide sequence; PCR; Pets; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; Restriction fragment length polymorphism; Risk factors; Spain - epidemiology; Tick Infestations - veterinary; Ticks; Ticks - parasitology
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3371-5

While in Europe Babesia canis has been traditionally held responsible for canine piroplasmosis, Babesia microti-like piroplasm (Bml) infection is being ever more observed in dogs, with the first clinical cases reported in northwestern Spain. This study examines the epidemiological role of healthy dogs living in endemic areas of Bml infection in Spain. The data obtained were used to describe the clinical status and map the geographical distribution of Bml infection in healthy dogs in northwestern Spain. Blood samples and ticks were taken from 756 healthy dogs representatively across the whole Galicia region (northwestern Spain): stray (n = 211), hunting dogs (n = 333) and pets (n = 212). Blood samples were tested by microscopy parasite observation, nested PCR-RFLP and sequencing. Piroplasm infection prevalences in healthy dogs from northwestern Spain were 17.1% (129/756) by PCR and 3.4% (26/756) by microscopy observation. The species found by PCR were: 2.2% (17/756) for B. canis and 15.1% (114/756) for Bml. Co-infection with B. canis and Bml was noted in 2 dogs. The higher prevalences detected were Bml in hunting dogs (25.5%; 85/333) and B. canis in stray dogs (6.6%; 14/211). In fox-hunting dogs from any area and dogs from the A Coruña Province, significantly higher prevalences of Bml infection were detected (P