Coinfection with three Ehrlichia species in dogs from Thailand and Venezuela with emphasis on consideration of 16S ribosomal DNA secondary structure.

ABSTRACT: As part of a larger study to investigate tick-borne infections in dogs from Thailand and Venezuela, documentation of coinfection with three Ehrlichia species in two dogs, one from each country, became the focus of the present study. Although neither dog had clinical signs attributable to ehrlichiosis, both dogs were anemic and neutropenic and the Thai dog was thrombocytopenic. Genus- and species-specific PCR targeting the 16S rRNA genes indicated that both dogs were coinfected with Ehrlichia canis, E. platys, and E. equi. To our knowledge, these results provide the first molecular documentation for the presence of E. equi in dogs from these countries. Using universal bacterial PCR primers, one nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene could be amplified from each dog. The sequences were identical t

SUBMITTER: Suksawat J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC87685 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature