Prevalência molecular de Ehrlichia canis em cães atendidos no Hospital de Clínicas Veterinária da UFPel

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Ehrlichia canis, a pathogen that can cause a multisystemic disease in canines, in a population of dogs with varying clinical conditions from the Hospital Clinicas Veterinária (HCV) of the Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel). A total of 95 blood samples were collected and evaluated for quality before being analyzed using Nested PCR. The results revealed that E. canis DNA was detected in 16 out of 95 samples, indicating a prevalence rate of 16.84% at HCV-UFPel. The mean age of the infected animals was 7.86 ± 5.13 years, with the youngest being 0.8 years old and the oldest being 15.8 years old. This study represents one of the few molecular prevalence studies conducted in Rio Grande do Sul and contributes to a better understanding of the epidemiological behavior of E. canis. The findings suggest that E. canis infection is present in canines with varying clinical conditions, highlighting the need for routine surveillance and control measures to prevent potential zoonotic transmission.