Vet World Vol.15 July-2022 Article-13
Research Article
Veterinary World, 15(7): 1699-1705
https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2022.1699-1705
Prevalence of Ehrlichia-, Babesia-, and Hepatozoon-infected brown dog ticks in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast Thailand
2. Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
3. Department of Community Health Faculty of Public Health, Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon 47000, Thailand.
4. Department of Veterinary Technology, Faculty of Agriculture Technology, Kalasin University, Kalasin 46000, Thailand.
5. Veterinary Clinic Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44000, Thailand.
Background and Aim: The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, is the most common tick found on domestic dogs in Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Canine tick-borne pathogens are a public health concern worldwide. Tick-borne diseases are diagnosed by identifying pathogens based on the morphological or molecular analyses of dog blood samples. However, the collection of ticks, a non-invasive procedure, is easier than drawing blood. This study aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of collecting brown dog ticks for the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases and for estimating the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens among companion dogs in Khon Kaen, Northeast Thailand.
Materials and Methods: Seventy brown dog ticks from 70 companion dogs in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand, were evaluated for molecular evidence of tick-borne pathogens, including Babesia spp., Ehrlichia canis, and Hepatozoon canis. Ticks were collected from dogs at a private animal hospital based on the presence of at least one of the three inclusion criteria: fever, anorexia, or lethargy. Molecular diagnosis was performed using conventional polymerase chain reaction for the detection of pathogens.
Results: Of the 70 ticks collected from 70 sick dogs, 55 (78.57%) were positive for tick-borne pathogens. The most common infection was a single infection with H. canis (65.71%) followed by Babesia spp. (31.43%) and E. canis (30.00%). Coinfection was observed in 14 ticks (20.00%), and coinfection with Babesia spp. and E. canis was the most prevalent double infection (n = 6). The prevalence of coinfection was identical for H. canis mixed with Babesia spp. and H. canis mixed with E. canis (n = 4).
Conclusion: The present study showed that tick-borne pathogens are highly prevalent among companion dogs in Khon Kaen Province. Therefore, we encourage an increase in tick control or the reduction and prevention of tick-borne diseases in this region. Furthermore, this study revealed that ticks are valuable samples for the molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens. Keywords: brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, tick-borne diseases, tick-borne pathogens.
Keywords: brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, tick-borne diseases, tick-borne pathogens.
How to cite this article: Eamudomkarn C, Pitaksakulrat O, Boueroy P, Thanasuwan S, Watwiengkam N, Artchayasawat A, Boonmars T (2022) Prevalence of Ehrlichia-, Babesia-, and Hepatozoon-infected brown dog ticks in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast Thailand, Veterinary World, 15(7): 1699-1705.
Received: 11-02-2022 Accepted: 17-05-2022 Published online: 20-07-2022
Corresponding author: Thidarut Boonmars E-mail: bthida@kku.ac.th
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2022.1699-1705
Copyright: Eamudomkarn, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.