Prevalence and Chemotherapy of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis in Lahore, Pakistan

Preventing animals from vector-borne diseases is of prodigious concern in the current era. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME) (Ehrlichia canis) in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: For initial diagnosis, microscopy was performed. Later on, anti-E. canis antibodies were detected through immunochromatography (ICA) based Ehrlichia canis Ab tests (Quicking biotech ®). A total of 100 dogs showing clinical signs of CME were tested, and an overall seroprevalence rate of 29% was noticed. The success rate of microscopy was observed to be 3% in the present study. Results: Occurrence of CME was not statistically associated with age, sex, and breed (p>0.05), while body condition (p<0.001) and tick infestation (p=0.004) were significantly associated with CME. Moreover, blood parameters, including Hb, RBC count, WBC count, and Total platelet count, were decreased (p<0.001) in the infected animals. Rifampicin was found to be more effective in diminishing clinical signs and normalization of blood parameters as compared to Doxycycline. Conclusions: Dogs in Lahore are at great risk of acquiring CME due to increased tick population and lack of awareness among owners. For rapid diagnosis and timely treatment against the infection, veterinarians can use ICA-based rapid test kits as an effective tool. In addition, Rifampicin is found to be more effective than Doxycycline, and may be preferred for the treatment of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis.