Bartonella Infection in Stray Dogs from Central and Southern Chile (Linares and Puerto Montt)

• Published in: Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) Vol. 20; no. 3; p. 187
• Main Authors: Weinborn-Astudillo, Romy M, Pau, Natalia, Tobar, Bret Z, Jaffe, David A, Boulouis, Henri-Jean, Sepúlveda, Paulina, Müller, Ananda, Chomel, Bruno B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.03.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Bartonella - genetics; Bartonella - isolation & purification; Bartonella Infections - blood; Bartonella Infections - epidemiology; Bartonella Infections - microbiology; Bartonella Infections - veterinary; Chile - epidemiology; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Dog Diseases - blood; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - microbiology; Dogs; Female; Male; Ownership; Phylogeny; Chile; dogs; Bartonella; Chile; PCR; serology
• ISSN: 1557-7759
• DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2505

Bartonellae are emerging zoonotic vector-borne pathogens causing a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms in humans and animals, including life-threatening endocarditis. Dogs are infected with a wide range of species and infection has been reported in free-roaming dogs from various South American countries. We report a high seroprevalence in 82 Chilean stray dogs. More than half of the dogs from Linares (72.7%,  = 66) and Puerto Montt (56.2%,  = 16) were seropositive for , ssp. , or with antibody titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:512. Three dogs (3.6%) were PCR positive for sp. Partial sequencing of the A gene indicated that two dogs were infected with , and one with a strain close to ssp. . Exposure to species was common in stray Chilean dogs, as for other South American countries, likely associated with heavy ectoparasite infestation.