Acta Biomedica Scientifica (Jul 2018)
OCCURRENCE OF TICK-BORNE PATHOGENS IN STRAY DOGS FROM HAVANA, CUBA
Abstract
The article presents the results of examination of stray dogs from Havana, Cuba for six ixodid tick-borne diseases. Analysis was carried out using real-time PCR. Overall 107 dogs, 95 (89.09 %) were infected. 41 dogs (38.31 %), 66 (61.68 %), 28 (26.17 %) and 40 (37.38 %) were found to be infected with Anaplasma platys, Ehrlichia canis, Rickettsia spp. and Hepatozoon canis, respectively. Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and groEL genes for Rickettsia spp. revealed 99 % identity with Rickettsia felis. There were no dogs infected with A. phagocytophilum and Borrelia spp.
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