Page 94 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2014

Surveillance for Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,
Borrelia burgdorferi, and Dirofilaria immitis in

Dogs From Three Cities in Colombia

Michael E. McCown, DVM, MPH, DACVPM;
Victor H. Monterroso, MV, MS, PhD, DACLAM; Wilder Cardona, MV, DMSC

ABSTRACT
Objective: Emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases Introduction
are made up in large proportion by vector-borne dis- Tick-borne diseases, more broadly classified as vector-
eases (VBD). Dogs are parasitized by disease vectors borne diseases (VBD), continue to be rapidly emerging
such as ticks and mosquitoes, making dogs adequate and globally distributed. In recent years, increasing
1,2
reservoirs for zoonoses. Risk of exposure to VBD exists numbers of the emerging infections and zoonotic dis-
for the U.S. military personnel and Military Working eases are described to be caused by tick-borne patho-
Dogs (MWD) when deployed globally. The importance gens. Canine populations are susceptible to most of
1
of canine VBD surveillance relates to veterinary and the tick-borne pathogens known to infect mammals,
public health significance for the host nations as well including humans, making dogs adequate reservoirs
as for the U.S. troops and MWDs. The objective of this and sentinels for infectious and zoonotic diseases. 3–9
work was to survey dogs from the cities of Medellin, Canine diseases such as heartworm disease (Dirofilaria
Barranquilla, and Cartagena in Colombia to determine immitis), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis), Lyme disease
the prevalence of heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immi- (Borrelia burgdorferi), and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma
tis), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis), Lyme disease (Borrelia phagocytophilum) should be surveyed, because of their
burgdorferi), and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocyto- veterinary and public health significance in susceptible
philum). Methods: Canine (n = 498) blood samples (1– populations. The importance of the surveillance for such
3mL) were collected during July 2011 from Medellin diseases is oriented to decrease the risk of disease expo-
(n = 175), Barranquilla (n = 223), and Cartagena (n = sure and occupational and environmental hazards. 10–15
100) and were tested on-site using IDEXX SNAP 4Dx Results from such surveillance give direct prevalence
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Test Kits. Results: The overall combined sample preva- rates in the canine population but also give invaluable
lence of E. canis, A. phagocytophilum, D. immitis, and information about the vectors present and the risk of
B. burgdorferi was 62%, 33%, 1.6%, and 0%, respec- disease spread to the human population. The objective
tively. In Medellin, 26% of the samples were positive of this work was to survey canines from the cities of
for E. canis, 12% for A. phagocytophilum, and 0% for Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena in Colombia, to
D. immitis. In Barranquilla, sample prevalence for E. determine the sample prevalence of heartworm disease,
canis, A. phagocytophilum, and D. immitis was 83%, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and Lyme disease.
40%, and 2%, respectively. In Cartagena, E. canis, A.
phagocytophilum, and D. immitis prevalence was 80%,
51%, and 3%, respectively. Conclusion: E. canis and A. Materials and Methods
phagocytophilum are present in all three surveyed cities. Canine blood samples (n = 498) were collected during
There is a higher sample prevalence for E. canis and A. July 2011 in three cities of Colombia (Medellin, Bar-
phagocytophilum than for D. immitis. In addition, the ranquilla, and Cartagena) to gain thorough surveillance
prevalence for these organisms is higher in Barranquilla data. The three selected cities—Medellin (n = 175), Bar-
and Cartagena than in Medellin. Overall, this study em- ranquilla (n = 223), and Cartagena (n = 100)—provided
phasizes the value of surveillance for VBDs in order to data from three different regions in Colombia with
determine disease prevalence, develop risk assessments, varying elevations. Medellin (latitude 6°13'N, longitude
and implement control measures.
75°36'W, elevation 4902 feet or 1499 meters) is a moun-
tainous region with large rural and urban components.
Keywords: zoonotic disease, parasites, vector-borne dis- Conversely, Barranquilla (latitude 10°53'N, longitude
ease, dogs, public health, surveillance, Colombia
74°46'47'W, elevation 98 feet or 30 meters) and Carta-
gena (latitude 10°27'N, longitude 75°31'W, elevation 3

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