Detection of Tick Borne Zoonotic Bacteria by PCR in Dogs

Abstract

The prevalence of some tick-borne zoonotic bacteria (Borrelia sp., Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia sp.) in dog blood samples were examined using by PCR. A total of 200 dog blood samples were collected from dogs located in western Türkiye. Three pathogens for dogs, Borrelia burgdorferi, C. burnetii and Rickettsia sp. of were detected in dog blood samples. A single PCR was performed for the C. burnetii and multiplex PCR was applied for the Rickettsiae spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi. At the end of PCR study, Borrelia burgdorferi, C. burnetii and Rickettsiae sp. target pathogens were identified at the rate of 55.0% from all blood samples. The percentage distributions according to identified species were at the rate of C. burnetii 1.5%, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato 2.0% and Rickettsiae spp. 51.5%. In this results show that the dogs may be a risk factor for the distribution of the tick-borne zoonotic bacteria. Tick borne zoonotic bacteria were to create a hazard to the human health.