ABSTRACT
Feces obtained from 204 domestic cats with gastrointestinal symptoms were genetically examined for feline astrovirus (FeAstV) and feline parvovirus (FPV), both of which are known feline gastroenteric viruses. FeAstV detection rates were significantly higher in winter (44.4%) than in other seasons, and in cats under a year old (27.8%) than in a year or older ones (12.4%) (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant seasonal and age differences were obtained in FPV detection rates. Upon FeAstV ORF2 sequence analysis, the 23 present isolates were classified into the same clade (Mamastrovirus 2) as the 18 reference strains from other countries. Our findings suggest that FeAstV is already circulating in Japan, and it is more prevalent in juvenile cats in winter, unlike FPV.
Subject(s)
Cat Diseases/epidemiology , Feline Panleukopenia Virus , Feline Panleukopenia/epidemiology , Parvoviridae Infections/veterinary , Animals , Cat Diseases/virology , Cats , Feline Panleukopenia/virology , Female , Japan/epidemiology , Male , Parvoviridae Infections/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
To evaluate the accuracy of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test as the index of feline panleukopenia virus (FPV)-protective ability, sera from 153 FPV-vaccinated cats aged ≥7 months with HI titer of <1:10-1:40, were examined for serum neutralizing (SN) antibody. SN antibody was detected (≥1:10) in 33 (62.3%) of 53 HI antibody-negative cats, and ranged <1:10-1:160. This suggests that FPV-antibody detection sensitivity of HI test is lower than SN test, and SN test is more suitable for the assessment of FPV-vaccine effect than HI test especially in cats with negative or low HI titer. SN titer was 1:32, FPV-protective threshold, or higher in all cats with HI titers of ≥1:20, suggesting it may be appropriate to set protective HI threshold at 1:20.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Feline Panleukopenia Virus/immunology , Feline Panleukopenia/immunology , Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests/veterinary , Animals , Cats/immunology , Cats/virology , Feline Panleukopenia/virology , Viral Vaccines/immunologyABSTRACT
The prevalence of Hepatozoon canis infections in dogs in Nigeria was surveyed using molecular methods. DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from 400 dogs. A primer set that amplified the Babesia canis 18S rRNA gene, which has high similarity to the H. canis 18S rRNA gene, was used for the PCR. As a result, samples from 81 dogs (20.3%) produced 757 bp bands, which differed from the 698 bp band that corresponded to B. canis infection. The sequence of the PCR products of 10 samples were determined, all of which corresponded with the H. canis sequence.
Subject(s)
Coccidia/isolation & purification , Coccidiosis/veterinary , Dog Diseases/epidemiology , Dog Diseases/parasitology , Animals , Coccidia/genetics , Coccidiosis/epidemiology , Coccidiosis/parasitology , DNA, Protozoan/chemistry , DNA, Protozoan/genetics , Dogs , Female , Male , Nigeria/epidemiology , Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary , Prevalence , RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/chemistry , RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/geneticsABSTRACT
An epidemiological study of Babesia canis in dogs in Nigeria was performed. Four hundred blood samples collected from dogs in Nigeria were investigated using nested PCR and sequence analysis. On nested PCR screening, nine samples (2.3%) produced a band corresponding to a 698-bp fragment indicative of B. canis infection. Sequence analysis of the PCR products identified eight samples (2.0%) as B. canis rossi and the ninth (0.3%) as B. canis vogeli. This is the first report of the prevalence of B. canis rossi and B. canis vogeli in dogs in Nigeria.
