A comparative study of routine rapid test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to diagnose canine tick-borne disease and associated clinical signs and hematological findings in Chonburi Province, Thailand
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Abstract
Objectives: To compare commercial test and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for canine tick-borne disease diagnosis and to evaluate the correlation of clinical signs and hematological profile with the disease.
Materials and Methods: Forty-five blood samples that had positive results with commercial test kits (SNAP 4DX Plus) for canine tick-borne pathogens were stored. Those samples were tested for molecular detection of Babesia canis, Hepatozoon canis, Anaplasma platys, and Ehrlichia canis by PCR technique. In addition, the prevalence of infection, related clinical signs, and hematological profile were analyzed using the Chi-square test.
Results: In this study, Anaplasma platys are the most hemoparasites found. Mixed infection of tick-borne pathogens was found in more than a single infection. Lymphopenia was associated with mixed infections; A. platys + B. canis, A. platys + H. canis, B. canis + H. canis, A. platys + B. canis + H. canis (p<0.05). In addition, B. canis was associated with pale mucous membranes (p<0.05). Overall, the result shows that the number of positive samples with rapid test kits did not match those with PCR tests (75.56%).
Conclusion: Regarding this study's results, rapid test kits could not detect mixed and B. canis infections. Mixed infections were associated with the critical hematological profile (Lymphopenia). B. canis infections were associated with the apparent clinical sign (Pale mucous membranes). We concluded that veterinarians should diagnose hemoparasitic disease in dogs based on clinical signs and hematological profiles. Detection of hemoparasite could be done by PCR for increasing diagnostic accuracy.
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