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Detection of Anaplasmataceae agents and co-infection with other tick-borne protozoa in dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks

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Abstract

Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are of serious health concern worldwide for animals and humans. In the present study, we report the occurrence of Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis in dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) ticks from Peninsular Malaysia using a nested polymerase chain reaction assay based on amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. Anaplasma platys was detected from dogs and ticks with prevalence rates of 3.3% (8/240) and 2.9% (4/140), respectively. On the other hand, 12.9% (31/240) of the dogs and 0.7% (1/140) of the ticks were tested positive for E. canis. Additionally, co-infections of A. platys and E. canis with Babesia or Hepatozoon protozoa were also noted in this study. Double infection (E. canis + B. gibsoni) was observed in tick, whereas triple infections (E. canis + A. platys + B. vogeli and E. canis + A. platys + H. canis) were found in dogs. This study represents the first evidence of A. platys DNA in R. sanguineus s.l. in Malaysia.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the University of Malaya Research Grants (BK097-2016, RU005-2017, and PG098-2016A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Van Lun Low & Sazaly AbuBakar

  2. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Batah Kunalan Prakash & Mohd Sofian-Azirun

  3. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim, Tiong Kai Tan & Wei Yin Vinnie-Siow

  4. Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERIA), University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim

  5. Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Sazaly AbuBakar

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  1. Van Lun Low
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  2. Batah Kunalan Prakash
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  3. Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim
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  5. Wei Yin Vinnie-Siow
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  6. Mohd Sofian-Azirun
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  7. Sazaly AbuBakar
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Correspondence to Van Lun Low.

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Low, V.L., Prakash, B.K., Lim, Y.AL. et al. Detection of Anaplasmataceae agents and co-infection with other tick-borne protozoa in dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks. Exp Appl Acarol 75, 429–435 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0280-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-018-0280-9

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