High Prevalence of Ehrlichia Canis in Dogs in Van, Turkey

Abstract

Tropical and subtropical regions have seen an alarming increase in vector-borne diseases especially tick-borne diseases. Ehrlichiosis is one of the most important vector-borne disease from a zoonotic perspective and it can be even more lethal in dogs and humans a compromised immune system. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of E. canis in Van province of Turkey. A total of 387 blood samples were collected from dogs in Van veterinary clinics in 2019. Extracted DNAs were run through Nested PCR using the appropriate primers. A total of 79 samples out of 387 were E. canis positive at 389 bp revealed by Nested PCR. Sanger method was used for DNA sequencing of two selected positive samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that relevant amplicon was 100% compatible with 16S RNA gene isolated from E. canis in many geographical regions.