Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.6/Nov-2013/9.pdf RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Prevalence of haemoparasites in pet, working and stray dogs of Assam and North-East India: A hospital based study

Aim: This research work is aimed to find out the prevalence of haemoparasitic infections in different categories of dogs. Materials and Methods: Out of 2104 dogs registered in the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex of the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara, Guwahati during January 2009 to December 2010, blood of 424 cases suspected for haemoparasites on the basis of clinical history were microscopically examined in wet blood film and giemsa stained blood smears. Results: The prevalence was 57.31% in the hospital population comprising pet (58.03%) and working (54.54%) dogs and 63.64% in stray dog population. A total of 7 species viz. Babesia gibsoni (47.16%), Ehrlichia (Anaplasma) platys (8.49%), Dirofilaria immitis (2.83%), Ehrlichia canis (2.12%), Babesia canis (1.41%), Hepatozoon canis (1.41%) and Ehrlichia ewingii (0.47%) in single or mixed infections were recorded. B. gibsoni was found to be most predominant haemoprotozoan species. However, B. canis, the large form of Babesia was detected in very few dogs. Similarly, inclusion of E. platys inside blood platelets, although rare in occurrence, was more easily detectable than that of E. canis inside the monocytes and lymphocytes. Infection with D. immitis in pet dogs (2.38%) was comparatively lower than in working dogs (4.54%) and found in single and mixed infections with B. gibsoni, B. canis and E. platys. Hepatozoon canis was recorded in 6 hospital dogs either in single or mixed infection with B. gibsoni and E. platys. Six species of haemoparasites namely B. gibsoni (47.72%), D. immitis (27.27%), E. platys (4.54%), E. canis (2.27%), E. ewingii (2.27%) and H. canis (2.27%) were detected in blood of stray dogs. Trypanosoma evansi as recorded in dogs from other parts of the country was not detected in this study. Conclusion: Present findings led to a significant conclusion that Assam and adjoining states of North East region of India are highly enzootic for the vector borne haemoparasites of dog.


Introduction
resulting likelihood of increased vector borne diseases including human malaria.Information pertaining to the Dogs are known to be infected by different status of haemoparasite infections in dogs of North east haemoparasites viz.Babesia spp, Trypanosoma spp, region of India is very scanty.

Leishmania spp, Hepatozoon spp, Ehrlichia spp,
The present paper communicates the results of a Anaplasma spp, Mycoplasma spp (Haemobartonella) systematic study on the prevalence of haemoparasitic and Dirofilaria sp which are transmitted through infections in dogs of Assam and adjoining states of different arthropod vectors like ticks, lice, triatomines, North East India.mosquitoes, tabanids and phlebotomine sand flies and produce illness collectively termed as canine vector

borne diseases (CVBD) in tropical and subtropical
Ethical approval: The experiments comply with the countries including India.Some of them are often guidelines laid down by the Institutional Ethical known to have zoonotic importance [1].H. canis blood cells.The parasites were identified on the basis (2.27%).T. evansi was not detected in blood of either of characteristic morphology.Parasitaemia in positive stray or hospital dogs during the study period.Babesia cases was estimated by counting at least 10 randomly gibsoni was observed in the red blood cells (Figure -1) chosen oil immersion fields containing a single layer of of hospital dogs with parasitaemia varying from rare to non-overlapping cells in the stained smear.In the cases as high as 30%.B. canis, the large form of Babesia where quantitative estimation was not possible, (Figure -2) was detected having rare to occasional parasitaemia was graded as rare, occasional and parasitaemia.frequent (<1%).Failure to detect parasite in the smear Among the Ehrlichia sps, Ehrlichia (Anaplasma) after evaluating at least 500 oil immersion fields in 20platys (Figure -3) was most frequently detected as 30 minutes time was declared as microscopically mono infection (3.53%) and co-infection (4.95%) with negative blood sample.
Babesia, E. canis, H. canis and D. immitis in the hospital dogs followed by Ehrlichia canis (Figure -4).granulocytic Ehrlichia as co-infection with E. canis E. platys.In the case of stray dogs microfilaria was and/or concurrent infection with Babesia, Dirofilaria, detected in 27.27% cases.However, wet blood film Hepatozoon and also Trypanosoma.Occasional examination could detect higher number of D. immitis appearance of B. canis in the peripheral blood of dogs positive cases which were 4.76%, 7.95% and 29.54% was also mentioned by Irwin [7].Referring to one in pet, working and stray dogs respectively.clinical case, microscopic examination of 2 blood In respect of Hepatozoon canis, a total of 7 dogs, 6 smears from the moderately anaemic dog revealed from the hospital population and one stray dog of the presence of B. canis in only one red blood cell of a thin present study were found positive either in single or smear.The parasite could not be detected in subsequent mixed infection with B. gibsoni and E. platys.Gelatin examination of blood of this animal 6 months later capsule shaped gametes of H. canis were found in the when presented with severe anaemia for antibabesial cytoplasm of neutrophils (Figure -6 Statistical analysis: Data on prevalence were analyzed Microfilariae of D. immitis (Figure-5) was using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS)

Table - 1
. Prevalence of haemoparasites in hospital and stray dog population detected in 4.54% working dogs and 2.38% pet dogs Results pertaining to Ehrlichia are also in agreement with an overall 2.83% detection in hospital dogs in with Varshney [2] who has mentioned E. platys and single and mixed infection with B. gibsoni, B. canis and ). treatment.This observation agreed with Schalm et al [8] who reported demonstration of the parasite was a Senthil Kumar et al. from Chennai mostly based on exhibited clinical symptoms.Lower (Tamil Nadu) [3], Eljadar Mohamed et al. from Jaipur incidence of B. canis than B. gibsoni observed in the (Rajasthan) [5] and Godara et al from Ludhiana present study was also recorded by Senthil Kumar et al. (Punjab) [6].Highest infection rate with B. gibsoni [3].(84.9%) followed by E. canis, H. canis and B. canis Although serological test was not performed to was similarly reported by Senthil Kumar et.al. [3].
confirm inclusions of E. platys in the platelets,