Molecular detection of Bartonella, Ehrlichia and Mycoplasma in feral dogs of El Pedregal de San Angel Ecological Reserve in Mexico City

• Published in: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 728 - 734
• Main Authors: Arenas, Pablo, Gil-Alarcón, Guillermo, Sánchez-Montes, Sokani, Soto-Trujillo, Mariana Paola, Fernández-Figueroa, Edith, Rangel-Escareño, Claudia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinária 01.10.2019; Colégio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria
• Subjects: Anaplasma - genetics; Anaplasma - isolation & purification; Animals; Animals, Wild; Bartonella - genetics; Bartonella - isolation & purification; Canis familiaris; Dog Diseases - epidemiology; Dog Diseases - microbiology; Dogs; Ehrlichia - genetics; Ehrlichia - isolation & purification; Female; flea-borne pathogens; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - epidemiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - veterinary; Male; Mexico; Mexico - epidemiology; Mycoplasma - genetics; Mycoplasma - isolation & purification; PARASITOLOGY; Phylogeny; Rickettsia - genetics; Rickettsia - isolation & purification; tick-borne pathogens; VETERINARY SCIENCES; Mexico; patógenos transmitidos por carrapatos; patógenos transmitidos por pulgas; tick-borne pathogens; Mexico; México; Canis familiaris; flea-borne pathogens
• ISSN: 0103-846X; 1984-2961; 1984-2961
• DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612019085

Free-ranging and feral dogs represent a group of unattended companion animals. They impact wild animal populations by predating native species, displacing predators and introducing exotic pathogens. The aim of this work was to describe the molecular occurrence of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, Mycoplasma and Bartonella in feral dogs. The study was carried out in the last relict of a protected area in Mexico City. Blood clots samples from 19 dogs were obtained and analyzed for detection of specific fragments of the 16S-rRNA gene for Anaplasma, Ehrlichia and Mycoplasma and citrate synthase (gltA) for Bartonella and Rickettsia. Our results showed that DNA from three bacteria species (Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, Ehrlichia canis and Mycoplasma haemocanis) was present with frequencies ranging from 5.3 to 15.8%. This is the first record of B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and M. haemocanis in dogs from México, and also the first finding of Ehrlichia canis in Mexico City. It is important to perform surveillance of feral dog populations in order to identify the impact of these pathogens on wild animal populations and Public Health in order to establish prevention and protection programs.