Original Scientific Article
Seroprevalence of Ehrlichia canis infection in stray dogs from Serbia
Nataša Bogićević * ,
Milica Elezović Radovanović ,
Ana Vasić ,
Marija Manić ,
Jovan Marić ,
Dragica Vojinović ,
Dragan Rogožarski ,
Ana Gligić ,
Miroslav Valčić

Mac Vet Rev 2017; 40 (1): 37 - 42

10.1515/macvetrev-2016-0096

Received: 08 July 2016

Received in revised form: 22 September 2016

Accepted: 31 October 2016

Available Online First: 01 December 2016

Published on: 15 March 2017

Correspondence: Nataša Bogićević, natalybogicevic@gmail.com
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Abstract

Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease with worldwide distribution. With regards to the population of stray dogs, the disease is facilitated due to their lifestyle and the lack of anti-parasitic protection. The aim of this study was to provide serological data on the presence of a specific Ehrlichia canis IgG antibodies in stray dogs, originating from 7 municipalities in Serbia. During the period from April 2013 to June 2014, 217 canine sera were submitted to the laboratory of the Department of Infectious Diseases of Animals and Bees, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgrade. An immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) was performed to detect antibodies to Ehrlichia canis (cut off, 1:50). Seropositive dogs were found in 5 out of 7 counties with a seroprevalence varying from 3.57% to 20% and an overall seroprevalence of 11.06% (24/217). There was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of infection and the host age or gender. Results showed that stray dogs contribute to maintaining and spreading of Ehrlichia canis in Serbia. Due to the close relationship between people and dogs, it is of great importance to constantly monitor and improve prevention of this disease.

Keywords: canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, Ehrlichia canis, dogs, immunofluorescence antibody test, Serbia

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Copyright

© 2016 Bogićević N. This is an open-access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declared that they have no potential conflict of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Citation Information

Macedonian Veterinary Review. Volume 40, Issue 1, Pages 37-42, p-ISSN 1409-7621, e-ISSN 1857-7415, DOI: 10.1515/macvetrev-2016-0096, 2017

The all content of the Macedonian Veterinary Review, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.