Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma spp. and Leishmania infantum in apparently healthy and CVBD-suspect dogs in Portugal—A national serological study
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are caused by a wide range of pathogens transmitted to dogs by arthropods including ticks and insects. Many CVBD-agents are of zoonotic concern, with dogs potentially serving as reservoirs and sentinels for human infections. The present study aimed at assessing the seroprevalence of infection with or exposure to Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma spp. and Leishmania infantum in dogs in Portugal. METHODS: Based on 120 veterinary medical centres from all the regions of mainland and insular Portugal, 557 apparently healthy and 628 CVBD-suspect dogs were sampled. Serum, plasma or whole blood was tested for qualitative detection of D. immitis antigen and antibodies to E. canis, B. burgdorferi s. l., Anaplasma spp. and L. infantum with two commercial in-clinic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated by logistic regression analysis to identify independent risk factors of exposure to the vector-borne agents. RESULTS: Total positivity levels to D. immitis, E. canis, B. burgdorferi, Anaplasma spp., L. infantum, one or more agents and mixed agents were 3.6%, 4.1%, 0.2%, 4.5%, 4.3%, 14.0% and 2.0% in the healthy group, and 8.9%, 16.4%, 0.5%, 9.2%, 25.2%, 46.3% and 11.6% in the clinically suspect group, respectively. Non-use of ectoparasiticides was a risk factor for positivity to one or more agents both in the apparently healthy (OR = 2.1) and CVBD-suspect (OR = 1.5) dogs. Seropositivity to L. infantum (OR = 7.6), E. canis (OR = 4.1) and D. immitis (OR = 2.4) were identified as risk factors for the presence of clinical signs compatible with CVBDs. Positivity to mixed agents was not found to be a risk factor for disease. CONCLUSIONS: Dogs in Portugal are at risk of becoming infected with vector-borne pathogens, some of which are of zoonotic concern. CVBDs should be considered by practitioners and prophylactic measures must be put in place to protect dogs and limit the risk of transmission of vector-borne agents to humans. This study is expected to give veterinary and public health authorities an increased awareness about CVBDs in Portugal and to serve as a reference for future investigations and control actions.
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In Portugal, the prevalence of canine heartworm reported in the past has remained at similar percentages and has even increased in some regions.
“In Portugal, the prevalence reported in the past has remained at similar percentages and has even increased in some regions.”
From What has happened to heartworm disease in Europe in the last 10 years? (2022) · cites this paper as [10]
Cardoso et al. reported a general canine heartworm prevalence of 3.6% in Portugal, with regional prevalences of 2.9% in the north, 0.9% in the centre, 2.4% in Lisbon, and 5.1% in the south (Algarve).
“Cardoso et al. [10] carried out an extensive study analysing samples from all over the country and reported a general prevalence of 3.6%, obtaining prevalence of 2.9% in the north, 0.9% in the centre, 2.4% in the capital of Lisbon, and 5.1% in the south (Algarve).”
From What has happened to heartworm disease in Europe in the last 10 years? (2022) · cites this paper as [10]
The 3.5% D. immitis antigen prevalence in cats was significantly different from the 40.0% prevalence reported in dogs (χ2 = 4.705, df = 1, P < 0.0001).
“The 3.5% prevalence of D. immitis antigen in cats in the present study is significantly different from that of a recent report in dogs (40.0%; χ2 = 4.705, df = 1, P < 0.0001) [31].”
From Survey of Dirofilaria immitis antigen and antibodies to Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Madeira Island, Portugal (2020) · cites this paper as [31]
Zero prevalence of Leishmania antibodies in cats from Madeira is in line with the 0% found in 10 dogs from Madeira.
“The zero prevalence of antibodies to Leishmania spp. in cats from Madeira Island is in line with the value (0%) found in 10 apparently healthy dogs also from Madeira assessed, from October 2010 to April 2011, for L. infantum antibodies with a rapid test [31].”
From Survey of Dirofilaria immitis antigen and antibodies to Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Madeira Island, Portugal (2020) · cites this paper as [31]
Madeira is the region of Portugal with the highest prevalence of heartworm infection in dogs, where cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis is the major endemic vector-borne disease.
“Madeira is the region of Portugal with the highest prevalence of heartworm infection in dogs, in which cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis is the major endemic vector-borne disease [8, 31].”
From Survey of Dirofilaria immitis antigen and antibodies to Leishmania infantum and Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Madeira Island, Portugal (2020) · cites this paper as [31]
Recent data from Cardoso et al. (2012) reported the national average prevalence of D. immitis in apparently healthy dogs to be 3.6% and 8.9% in dogs suspected to have clinical signs associated with canine vector-borne disease.
“Recent data from Cardoso et al. (2012) using a commercial ELISA kit (SNAP ® 4Dx ® , IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, Maine, USA) reported the national average prevalence of D. immitis in apparently healthy dogs to be 3.6% and 8.9% in dogs suspected to have clinical signs associated with canine vector-borne disease.”
From Prevalence and seasonal variations of canine dirofilariosis in Portugal (2014) · cites this paper as Cardoso et al. (2012)
The prevalence of dirofilariosis found in this study is higher than that reported in previous studies conducted in central Portugal.
“Our results demonstrate a higher prevalence of dirofilariosis compared with findings of previous studies”
From Prevalence and seasonal variations of canine dirofilariosis in Portugal (2014) · cites this paper as Cardoso et al., 2012
Canine dirofilariosis due to D. immitis is known to be endemic and widely distributed in Portugal, with prevalence ranging between 0.9 and 27.3% in mainland regions to over 30% in Madeira Island.
“Canine dirofilariosis due to D. immitis is known to be endemic and widely distributed in Portugal, with prevalence ranging between 0.9 and 27.3% in mainland regions to over 30% in Madeira Island [22–25]”
From Molecular characterization of Dirofilaria spp. circulating in Portugal (2017) · cites this paper as [24]
Because travel history was not included in the questionnaire, the study cannot rule out that dogs were infected outside their home region.
“Despite differences detected in seropositivity to each CVBD-agent among each of the seven regions, the travel history of each dog was not included in the questionnaire, such that we cannot rule out the possibility that dogs were infected outside their home region [14].”
From Seropositivity rates for agents of canine vector-borne diseases in Spain: A multicentre study (2013) · cites this paper as [14]
The finding that Li or Ec positivity correlated with clinical signs is consistent with reports indicating that clinical signs are commonly observed in dogs infected with L. infantum and E. canis.
“This finding is consistent with reports indicating that clinical signs are commonly observed in dogs infected with L. infantum and E. canis[14,16,64,65].”
From Seropositivity rates for agents of canine vector-borne diseases in Spain: A multicentre study (2013) · cites this paper as [14]
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References 55 · Cited by 119
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Araujo AM Canine and human Dirofilaria immitis infections in Portugal. A review [abstract] Parassitologia 1996 38 Suppl 1-2 366
- Alexandre NML Estudo clínico e epidemiológico da febre botonosa, ehrlichiose canina e borreliose de Lyme numa população de canídeos domésticos do Algarve MSc dissertation 2006 Technical University of Lisbon, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Authors
- Cardoso, L., Mendão, C., & Madeira de Carvalho, L.
- Affiliations
- Bayer (Portugal) (PT)
- Venue
- Parasites & Vectors
- Published
- 2012-03-27
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 62-62
- ISSN
- 1756-3305 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3353209
- OpenAlex
- W2136692243
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 10.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Parasites & Vectors (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Bayer Portugal
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Research on Leishmaniasis Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- Keywords
- canine vector-borne diseases, Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma, Leishmania infantum, seroprevalence, dogs, ectoparasiticides, risk factors, zoonoses, Portugal, co-infection, tick-borne diseases, canine leishmaniasis, canine ehrlichiosis, canine anaplasmosis, canine heartworm disease, canine babesiosis
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Bacterial Infections, Disease Vectors, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Humans, Male, Parasitic Diseases, Animal, Portugal, Seroepidemiologic Studies
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