Ehrlichia canis em cães atendidos em hospital veterinário de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil Ehrlichia canis in dogs attended in a veterinary hospital from Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil

Abstract

O presente estudo investigou a etiologia da erliquiose monocítica canina em 70 cães atendidos no Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Estadual Paulista, na cidade de Botucatu, durante 2001 e 2002. Os cães foram avaliados segundo achados clínicos, epidemiológicos e laboratoriais e pela amplificação parcial e sequenciamento do gene dsb de Ehrlichia. DNA de Ehrlichia canis foi amplificado e sequenciado em 28 (40,0%) cães. Observou-se maior frequência deanimais positivos com idade até 12 meses (P 0,05) e 42,2% (P > 0,05) dos cães PCR positivos, respectivamente. Vinte e cinco cães com anemia ( 0,05) frente à infecção por E. canis. Todos os 28 cães positivos na PCR apresentaram trombocitopenia (This study investigated the etiology of canine ehrlichiosis and possible clinical and epidemiological data associated with the infection in 70 dogs suspect of ehrlichiosis attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the São Paulo State University in Botucatu city during 2001 and 2002. Dogs were evaluated by clinical-epidemiological and hematological data and molecular analysis by partial amplification and DNA sequencing of the ehrlichial dsb gene. E. canis DNA was amplified and sequenced in 28 (40.0%) dogs. Dogs younger than 12 months old showed significantly higher infection rates (65.0%; P 0.05), and 42.4% (P > 0.05) of the PCR-positive dogs, respectively. Twenty-five anemic ( 0.05). All 28 PCR-positive dogs showed thrombocytopenia (<175 × 10³ platelets.µL-1) and revealed statistical significance (P < 0.05). E. canis was the only Ehrlichia species found in dogs in the studied region, with higher infection rates in younger dogs, and statisticallyassociated with thrombocytopenia.

Keywords

• Ehrlichia canis
• PCR
• Brasil
• cães
• erliquiose
• Ehrlichia canis
• PCR
• Brazil
• dogs
• ehrlichiosis