Prevalência da Erliquiose Canina na mesorregião metropolitana de Belém: Uma análise retrospectiva do período de 2021 a 2023

Abstract

Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis is a disease in dogs caused by the bacterium Ehrlichia canis, transmitted by the Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick. Diagnosis can be performed through various methods, with PCR and IFA being the most sensitive. In the state of Pará, there is a scarcity of research addressing this topic. With the aim of analyzing the prevalence of ehrlichiosis in the metropolitan region of Belém, an analysis of data from the ÂnimaVet Veterinary Laboratory was conducted, covering the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2023.Confirmed cases were those with positive results in qualitative PCR-RT, indicating the presence of the microorganism in total blood. The relationship between host variables (breed, sex, age, municipality of origin), study year, and climatic season with the prevalence of canine ehrlichiosis cases was analyzed using the Chi-square test (p<0.05). All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. In the three years analyzed, 976 examinations of animals residing in Belém, Ananindeua, Marituba, Benevides, Santa Isabel do Pará, and Castanhal were recorded. This is the first study presenting data on canine ehrlichiosis in the municipalities of Ananindeua, Benevides, and Marituba. The overall prevalence, considering all municipalities over the period, was 22.4%, similar to results from studies in other regions of Brazil. Most positive exams were from animals residing in the municipalities of Benevides (26.4%) and Castanhal (25.7%), but there was no significant difference in prevalence among the studied municipalities (p=0.129). Significant results were found for the relationship between age (p=0.600), sex (p=0.692), and breed (p=0.554) variables and prevalence, indicating that ehrlichiosis occurs in dogs with different characteristics. There was no significant difference in the prevalence recorded between years (p=0.286), but there was an increase in cases in 2023, with a prevalence of 23.4%. Monitoring the disease in the years following the study is crucial to identify possible changes in the endemic profile and epidemic outbreaks in the region. There was a higher prevalence during the dry season in the Belém mesoregion (p=0.008). This result is consistent with other studies indicating a higher incidence and prevalence of canine ehrlichiosis in the dry season, likely due to favorable conditions for the vector. However, more studies are needed to understand variations in ehrlichiosis prevalence and the vector in different Brazilian regions.