Comparative diagnosis of Ehrlichia spp. for soroteca building

Abstract

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis is an infectious disease of zoonotic character with worldwide distribution, transmitted by ticks of the species Rhipicephalus sanguineus that carry Ehrlichia canis, the bacterium responsible for the disease. The disease has three phases: acute, subclinical and chronic, whose approach and accurate diagnosis depend directly on the disease. Diagnostic techniques are based on direct blood analysis, molecular biology and also the presence of. This study was carried out a comparative analysis of the diagnostic efficacy between the techniques of enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with clinical / hematological diagnosis. Through the analysis of the presence of genetic material from E. canis and the detection of anti-IgG from Ehrlichia spp. in blood samples from 49 dogs in Recife metropolitan region of Pernambuco. The results of the comparison between clinical / hematological and ELISA were divergent in 33% of cases. Furthermore, regarding the two methods (ELISA and qPCR), it is concluded that qPCR is the most sensitive method when used in the acute phase of the disease. ELISA proved to be essential for a late evaluation of the disease, when is reduced the amount of pathogen but it already produced specific antibody for a disease, decreasing the possibility of false-negative results. In addition, reliability in the clinical examination, even combined with hematology, in particular the platelet count, cannot be considered definitive, and it is very important to associate other diagnostic tests to complement the diagnosis. Thus, in our results, the importance of using complementary tests for the development of a safe diagnosis of the disease was clear.