MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TICK BORNE HAEMOPARASITIC DISEASES IN DOGS IN CHENNAI
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Date
2022
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Abstract
The present study was aimed to assess the molecular epidemiology of various tick borne haemoparasitic diseases in dogs and the current circulating status of these pathogens in ticks as well as in dogs presented at the Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital, Madras Veterinary College and also in private veterinary clinics, Chennai during the period between December 2019 and August 2021. In this study, a total of 1446 samples were collected which comprised of 482 peripheral blood smears, 482 whole blood and 482 serum samples from 482 dogs presented with the suspicion of haemoparasitic diseases. Further, a total of 548 ticks (335 female, 213 male) from 47 infested dogs were also collected. Peripheral blood smears (482) were screened by conventional light microscopy. Whole blood (482) and pooled whole tick homogenates (47) were subjected to molecular methods for the presence of Babesia vogeli, Babesia gibsoni, Babesia canis, Hepatozoon canis, Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys in dogs. Epidemiological attributes, haematology and serum biochemical parameters were analysed for the individual diseases. Moreover, a rapid and sensitive DNA based Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay was assessed for its efficacy in the early diagnosis of Babesia gibsoni and to formulate treatment protocols.
Among 482 samples tested, the prevalence of B. vogeli, B. gibsoni,
H. canis and E. canis in dogs were 2.5, 1.24, 1.04 and 4.14 per cent respectively by conventional light microscopy. But, none of the samples were positive for A. platys by microscopy. Whereas, the prevalence of B. vogeli, B. gibsoni, H. canis, E. canis and A. platys in dogs were 7.47, 4.15, 6.64, 16.18 and 2.5 per cent respectively by PCR revealing its high sensitivity and specificity. However, none of the dog blood samples were found positive for B. canis in the studied region either by microscopy or molecular techniques. The overall prevalence of canine tick borne haemoparasitic diseases in Chennai was 32.5 per cent for at least one pathogen. Amongst which, E. canis being the most prevalent with 16.18 per cent followed by 7.47 per cent for B. vogeli, 6.64 per cent for H. canis, 4.15 per cent for B. gibsoni and 2.5 per cent for A. platys by molecular assay.