High Seroprevalence of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Infection among the Dog Population in Thailand.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV). In Thailand, three human cases of SFTS were reported in 2019 and 2020, but there was no report of SFTSV infection in animals. Our study revealed that at least 16.6% of dogs in Thailand were seropositive for SFTSV infection, and the SFTSV-positive dogs were found in several districts in Thailand. Additionally, more than 70% of the serum samples collected at one shelter possessed virus-neutralization antibodies against SFTSV and the near-complete genome sequences of the SFTSV were determined from one dog in the shelter. The dog SFTSV was genetically close to those from Thailand and Chinese patients and belonged to genotype J3. These results indicated that SFTSV has already spread among animals in Thailand.

Using bioelectrical impedance analysis for modeling regression and predicting body fat accumulation in dogs in East Thailand.

Background and Aim: Obesity in dogs leads to several health problems, such as premature death, and contributes to other diseases. Recently, body fat percentage has been considered to represent the body condition of dogs, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is the most effective method for accurately measuring body fat in dogs. In Thailand, information on the body condition of dogs is limited, and there is no standard body fat level for Thai or mongrel dogs. This study was designed to evaluate and analyze the body fat percentage in dogs through BIA using a handheld instrument. The results of this study can help enhance the quality of life and health of dogs and aid in setting a standard body fat level for Thai or mongrel dogs. Materials and Methods: The body fat percentage of 340 Thai and mongrel dogs in East Thailand was measured in the standing position, and the body condition score (BCS) (range, 1-5), sex, sterilization status, age, type of diet, and lifestyle were recorded. A linear regression model was developed to compare the variables and the predicted body fat percentage, and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the factors for body fat increment. Results: The linear regression model used to estimate the percentage of body fat (y) for each BCS (x) was y = 0.84 + 8.36x (R2 = 0.7219; p < 0.0001); the average body fat percentage was 27.52% for all studied dogs; specifically, 24.83% for the Thai Bangkaew, 26.42% for the Thai Ridgeback, and 27.65% for mongrels. The median body fat percentage was significantly higher in female than in male dogs. We found that as age increases, body fat percentage also increases; this increasing trend begins at the age of 5 years. However, increasing the level of activity and decreasing meal frequency leads to an increase in body fat percentage in neutered male dogs. Conclusion: The average body fat percentage of dogs in East Thailand is 27.52% and this value is expected to increase when these dogs reach the age of 5 years. BIA is a valid and effective measurement tool for detecting the body fat percentage in dogs.

Antibacterial Activity of Solanum torvum Leaf Extract and Its Synergistic Effect with Oxacillin against Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccoci Isolated from Dogs.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) have been considered a veterinary and public health threat that needs to be addressed, as they are known to cause serious infections, with limited therapeutic options. Thus, in this study, we aimed to examine the potential antibacterial activity of the leaf extract of Solanum torvum against MRS isolated from clinically healthy dogs. In total, seven mecA-positive Staphylococcus isolates tested in this study were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and all of them were classified as multidrug-resistant using disk diffusion tests. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, the main phytochemical components found in the leaf extract were hexadecanoic acid and its ethyl ester and 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, ethyl ester, (Z,Z,Z). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoints for the leaf extract against all tested isolates ranged from 2 to 16 mg/mL, while the MIC breakpoints for oxacillin were from 2 to 512 mg/L. Although varying effects were found, the positive effects of the leaf extract were most evident in combination with oxacillin. These results suggested that S. torvum leaf extract may complement classical antibiotics and may potentially drive the development of an effective therapeutic option for MRS.

A serological survey and characterization of Getah virus in domestic pigs in Thailand, 2017-2018.

Getah virus (GETV) is a mosquito-borne RNA virus belonging to the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. GETV infection causes diarrhoea and death in piglets, and reproductive failure and abortion in sows. This study conducted a serological survey of GETV infection among domestic pig populations in Thailand. ELISA was used to analyse 1,188 pig serum samples collected from 11 provinces of Thailand during 2017-2018, with 23.1% of the samples being positive for anti-GETV antibodies. The positive ratio of anti-GETV antibodies was significantly higher in nursery (67.9%) and older stages (84.5%) of pigs than in finishing stage (14.2%). Furthermore, we successfully isolated GETV from one pig serum, designated as GETV strain GETV/SW/Thailand/2017, and determined the complete genome sequence (11,689 nt). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that our isolate was different from the recent GETV group spreading among pig populations in East Asia and formed a cluster with two GETV strains, namely YN12031 (China, 2015) and LEIV16275Mar (Far-East Russia, 2007). We concluded that two different GETV groups are currently spreading among pig populations in Asian countries.