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Vector-Borne Diseases in Stray Dogs in Peninsular Malaysia and Molecular Detection of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp. from Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks

Koh FX, Panchadcharam C, Tay ST

J Med Entomol, 2016 Jan;53(1):183-7.
PMID: 26494821 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv153

Little data are available on the prevalence and transmission of vector-borne diseases in stray dogs in Peninsular Malaysia. This study was designed to determine the occurrence of vector-borne pathogens in Malaysian stray dogs using serological and molecular approaches. In total, 48 dog blood samples were subjected to serological analysis using SNAP 4Dx kit (IDEXX Laboratories, Westbrook, ME). The presence of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma DNA in the dog blood samples and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) ticks was detected using nested polymerase chain reaction assays. Positive serological findings against Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum were obtained in 17 (39.5%) and four (9.3%) of 43 dog samples, respectively. None of the dog blood samples were positive for Borrelia burgdorferi and Dirofilaria immitis. DNA of E. canis and A. phagocytophilum was detected in 12 (25.5%) and two (4.3%) of 47 dog blood samples, and 17 (51.5%) and one (3.0%) of 33 R. sanguineus ticks, respectively. Additionally, DNA of Ehrlichia spp. closely related to Ehrlichia chaffeensis was detected in two (6.1%) R. sanguineus ticks. This study highlights the prevalence of anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis in dogs in Malaysia. Due to the zoonotic potential of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma spp., appropriate measures should be instituted for prevention and control of vector-borne diseases in dogs.

Matched MeSH terms: Dogs/microbiology*
Enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from humans, foods and animals in Malaysia

Lim YS, Jegathesan M, Koay AS

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1982 Mar;13(1):133-7.
PMID: 7112212

Enterotoxin production by strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from human, food and animal sources was investigated. Of the 130 isolates studied, 27 (20.8%) were found to be enterotoxigenic. The most common enterotoxin detected from human sources was enterotoxin C whereas enterotoxin B occurred more frequently in staphylococcal strains of food origin. The 2 enterotoxigenic strains, from animals isolated from a dog and a goat, produced enterotoxins A and C, respectively. Enterotoxin E was not detected alone from any of the enterotoxigenic strains studied, but occurred together with other enterotoxins. The need to detect enterotoxin in staphylococcal strains and in suspected foods for the confirmation of staphylococcal food poisoning is discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Dogs/microbiology
Molecular detection of pathogens from ectoparasites recovered from peri-domestic animals, and the first description of a Candidatus Midichloria sp. from Haemaphysalis wellingtoni from rural communities in Malaysia

Khoo JJ, Husin NA, Lim FS, Oslan SNH, Mohd Azami SNI, To SW, et al.

Parasitol Int, 2021 Feb;80:102202.
PMID: 33038482 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102202

Rural communities in Malaysia have been shown to be exposed to Coxiella, Borrelia and rickettsial infections in previous seroprevalence studies. Further research is necessary to identify the actual causative agents and the potential vectors of these infections. The arthropods parasitizing peri-domestic animals in these communities may serve as the vector in transmitting arthropod-borne and zoonotic agents to the humans. Molecular screening of bacterial and zoonotic pathogens from ticks and fleas collected from dogs, cats and chickens from six rural communities in Malaysia was undertaken. These communities were made up of mainly the indigenous people of Malaysia, known as the Orang Asli, as well as settlers in oil palm plantations. The presence of Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia, and rickettsial agents, including Rickettsia and Anaplasma, was investigated by performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing. Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis was detected in one out of eight pools of Ctenocephalides felis fleas. A relapsing fever group Borrelia sp. was identified from one of seven Haemaphysalis hystricis ticks tested. The results from the PCR screening for Anaplasma unexpectedly revealed the presence of Candidatus Midichloria sp., a potential tick endosymbiont, in two out of fourteen Haemaphysalis wellingtoni ticks tested. C. burnetii was not detected in any of the samples tested. The findings here provide evidence for the presence of potentially novel strains of rickettsial and borrelial agents in which their impact on public health risks among the rural communities in Malaysia merit further investigation. The detection of a potential endosymbiont of ticks also suggest that the presence of tick endosymbionts in the region is not fully explored.

Matched MeSH terms: Dogs/microbiology
Fulltext Molecular detection of pathogens in ticks and fleas collected from companion dogs and cats in East and Southeast Asia

Nguyen VL, Colella V, Greco G, Fang F, Nurcahyo W, Hadi UK, et al.

Parasit Vectors, 2020 Aug 15;13(1):420.
PMID: 32799914 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04288-8

BACKGROUND: Ticks and fleas are considered amongst the most important arthropod vectors of medical and veterinary concern due to their ability to transmit pathogens to a range of animal species including dogs, cats and humans. By sharing a common environment with humans, companion animal-associated parasitic arthropods may potentially transmit zoonotic vector-borne pathogens (VBPs). This study aimed to molecularly detect pathogens from ticks and fleas from companion dogs and cats in East and Southeast Asia.
METHODS: A total of 392 ticks and 248 fleas were collected from 401 infested animals (i.e. 271 dogs and 130 cats) from China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, and molecularly screened for the presence of pathogens. Ticks were tested for Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp. and Hepatozoon spp. while fleas were screened for the presence of Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp.
RESULT: Of the 392 ticks tested, 37 (9.4%) scored positive for at least one pathogen with Hepatozoon canis being the most prevalent (5.4%), followed by Ehrlichia canis (1.8%), Babesia vogeli (1%), Anaplasma platys (0.8%) and Rickettsia spp. (1%) [including Rickettsia sp. (0.5%), Rickettsia asembonensis (0.3%) and Rickettsia felis (0.3%)]. Out of 248 fleas tested, 106 (42.7%) were harboring at least one pathogen with R. felis being the most common (19.4%), followed by Bartonella spp. (16.5%), Rickettsia asembonensis (10.9%) and "Candidatus Rickettsia senegalensis" (0.4%). Furthermore, 35 Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were subjected to phylogenetic analysis, of which 34 ticks belonged to the tropical and only one belonged to the temperate lineage (Rh. sanguineus (sensu stricto)).
CONCLUSION: Our data reveals the circulation of different VBPs in ticks and fleas of dogs and cats from Asia, including zoonotic agents, which may represent a potential risk to animal and human health.

Matched MeSH terms: Dogs/microbiology