Prevalence of Onchocerca lupi in shelter dogs from an endemic region of the Southwestern USA.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Onchocerca lupi is a zoonotic, vector-borne filarioid nematode that mainly infects wild and domestic canids in the Southwestern USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Clinical canine infections are associated with ocular disease, characterized by the presence of nodules and conjunctivitis. Subclinical cases can be challenging to diagnose, even with evaluation of cutaneous tissues for microfilariae. Current diagnostic tests include conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) to detect O. lupi DNA, and, alternatively, real-time PCR (qPCR), which provides more rapid results and higher throughput. The objectives of this study were to: I) optimize a novel qPCR assay that detects O. lupi and II) to assess the prevalence of O. lupi in shelter dogs from Albuquerque, NM, USA.

Method

SUBMITTER: Kelly MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12326697 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature