Browsing by Author "Granada, S."
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Serological and molecular detection of spotted fever group Rickettsia in a group of pet dogs from Luanda, AngolaPublication . Barradas, F.; Vilhena, H.; Oliveira, A. C.; Granada, S.; Amorim, I.; Ferreira, P.; Cardoso, L.; Gärtner, F.; de Sousa, R.Background: Infections with tick-borne rickettsiae can cause diseases well known in humans but still not so well characterized in dogs. Susceptibility to infection depends on the virulence of Rickettsia spp. and only a few of them have been described to cause disease in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate the exposure to Rickettsia spp. among a group of pet dogs from Luanda, Angola. Results: Out of 103 dogs included in the study, 62 (60.2%) were infested with ticks. Plasma specimens tested for serology by an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) revealed that six (5.8%) dogs had detectable immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR), with endpoint titers of 64 for two dogs, 128 for three dogs and 1024 for one dog. From the seropositive group of dogs, five (83%) of them were males, with their age ranging from 1 to 8 years old. Among the seropositive dogs, four (66.7%) were parasitized with ticks and no breed (or cross) was found to be associated with specific antibodies. Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected by nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in two (1.9%) dogs that were found to be seronegative. Conclusions: Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. infection in this group of pet dogs from Luanda is low compared with other studies performed in the same type of hosts in other areas. Although many dogs were parasitized with ticks, a low prevalence of Rickettsia spp. could be related with the hypothesis of a low rickettsial prevalence in the infesting ticks. This study provides evidence that dogs in Luanda are exposed to Rickettsia spp., but further studies are needed to better characterize the bacterial infections in dogs and in their ectoparasites.
- Serological and molecular evidence of Bartonella henselae in cats from Luanda city, AngolaPublication . Barradas, P.F.; De Sousa, R.; Vilhena, H.; Oliveira, A.C.; Luz, M.F.; Granada, S.; Cardoso, L.; Lopes, A.P.; Gonçalves, H.; Mesquita, J.R.; Ferreira, P.; Amorim, I.; Gärtner, F.A total of 100 domestic cats from Luanda (Angola) were tested for the presence of antibodies against Bartonella henselae and spotted fever group of Rickettsia (SFGR) using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Molecular screening targeting the riboflavin synthase (ribC) gene for Bartonella and outer membrane protein B (ompB) gene for Rickettsia, using conventional PCR and sequencing was also performed in cat´s blood samples. Sixty-six percent of the cats from Luanda had IgG antibodies against Bartonella species but none of them had antibodies against SFGR. Of the total seroreactive cats for Bartonella henselae, 4.5% had an IgG titre of 64 (cut-off), 60.6% a titre of 128, 28.8% a titre of 256 and 6.1% a titre of 512. A statistically significant association was observed between seropositivity for Bartonella henselae and the lack of access to prophylaxis against ectoparasites (p = 0.018). Molecular detection and further sequence analysis of the positive amplicons allowed identification of Bartonella henselae in a 2-year old male cat. To the best of our knowledge this study confirms for the first time, the presence of Bartonela henselae circulating in domestic cats from Luanda. This fact call the attention for the possible cases of cat-scratch disease in humans.
- Seroprevalence of spotted fever group rickettsiae among a group of pet dogs from Luanda, AngolaPublication . Barradas, P.F.; Sousa, R.; Amorim, I.; Vilhena, H.; Gartner, F.; Cardoso, L.; Oliveira, A.; Granada, S.; Silva, P.Tick-transmitted spotted fever group Rickettsiae (SFGR) are considered emerging disease. This study aims to assess the seroprevalence of spotted fever group rickettsiae among a group of pet dogs from Luanda, Angola.