Mosquito-borne arboviruses in Uganda: history, transmission and burden.

Mosquito-transmitted arboviruses constitute a large proportion of emerging infectious diseases that are both a public health problem and a threat to animal populations. Many such viruses were identified in East Africa, a region where they remain important and from where new arboviruses may emerge. We set out to describe and review the relevant mosquito-borne viruses that have been identified specifically in Uganda. We focused on the discovery, burden, mode of transmission, animal hosts and clinical manifestation of those previously involved in disease outbreaks. A search for mosquito-borne arboviruses detected in Uganda was conducted using search terms 'Arboviruses in Uganda' and 'Mosquitoes and Viruses in Uganda' in PubMed and Google Scholar in 2020. Twenty-four mosquito-borne viruses from different animal hosts, humans and mosquitoes were documented. The majority of these were from family Peribunyaviridae, followed by Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, Phenuiviridae and only one each from family Rhabdoviridae and Reoviridae. Sixteen (66.7 %) of the viruses were associated with febrile illnesses. Ten (41.7 %) of them were first described locally in Uganda. Six of these are a public threat as they have been previously associated with disease outbreaks either within or outside Uganda. Historically, there is a high burden and endemicity of arboviruses in Uganda. Given the many diverse mosquito species known in the country, there is also a likelihood of many undescribed mosquito-borne viruses. New generation diagnostic platforms have great potential to identify new viruses. Indeed, four novel viruses, two of which were from humans (Ntwetwe and Nyangole viruses) and two from mosquitoes (Kibale and Mburo viruses) including the 2010 yellow fever virus (YFV) outbreak were identified in the last decade using next generation sequencing. Given the unbiased approach of detection of viruses by this technology, its use will undoubtedly be critically important in the characterization of mosquito viromes which in turn will inform other diagnostic efforts.

Data analysis workflow for the detection of canine vector-borne pathogens using 16 S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) impact both human and veterinary medicine and pose special public health challenges. The main bacterial vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) of importance in veterinary medicine include Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia. Taxon-targeted PCR assays are the current gold standard for VBP diagnostics but limitations on the detection of genetically diverse organisms support a novel approach for broader detection of VBPs. We present a methodology for genetic characterization of VBPs using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and computational approaches. A major advantage of NGS is the ability to detect multiple organisms present in the same clinical sample in an unsupervised (i.e. non-targeted) and semi-quantitative way. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) presented here combines industry-standard microbiome analysis tools with our ad-hoc bioinformatic scripts to form a complete analysis pipeline accessible to veterinary scientists and freely available for download and use at https://github.com/eltonjrv/microbiome.westernu/tree/SOP . RESULTS: We tested and validated our SOP by mimicking single, double, and triple infections in genomic canine DNA using serial dilutions of plasmids containing the entire 16 S rRNA gene sequence of (A) phagocytophilum, (B) v. berkhoffii, and E. canis. NGS with broad-range 16 S rRNA primers followed by our bioinformatics SOP was capable of detecting these pathogens in biological replicates of different dilutions. These results illustrate the ability of NGS to detect and genetically characterize multi-infections with different amounts of pathogens in a single sample. CONCLUSIONS: Bloodborne microbiomics & metagenomics approaches may help expand the molecular diagnostic toolbox in veterinary and human medicine. In this paper, we present both in vitro and in silico detailed protocols that can be combined into a single workflow that may provide a significant improvement in VBP diagnostics and also facilitate future applications of microbiome research in veterinary medicine.

Evaluation of hematological alteration of vector-borne pathogens in cats from Bangkok, Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Cats can be carriers of infected arthropods and be infected with several vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) but there is limited knowledge about their pathogenic role in cats. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of some feline vector-borne agents by molecular technique and to characterize the hematological findings associated with these infections in a cat population from Bangkok Thailand. RESULTS: PCR was positive with at least one pathogen in 237 out of 372 subjects (63.7%), with prevalence of 39.5% (147/372) for Babesia spp., 36.9% (137/372) for hemoplasmas and 3.2% (12/372) for Hepatozoon spp. The cats older than 1 year were at significantly greater risk for VBPs infection (P = 0.001; OR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12 - 1.81) and hemoplasmas infection (χ2 = 10.8, df = 1; P < 0.0001; OR = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.49 - 4.01). A significant association between hematological findings and hemoplasma infection were identified in the present study. Besides, VBPs infection revealed more frequent in male cats (χ2= 6.38, df = 1, P = 0.01). Macrocytic hypochromic type of anemia was observed in cats infested with blood-sucking arthropods compared to the non-infested cats presented. CONCLUSIONS: The current study confirmed that Babesia, Hepatozoon and hemoplasmas had infected semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand, with Babesia and hemoplasmas being dominant in prevalence. Some hematological findings were significantly associated with cats infected with vector-borne pathogens in this study including leukocyte count and platelets count that may help support veterinary technicians in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Campaigns of VBPs monitoring in Bangkok emphasizing on the investigation of vectors and possible routes of the infection in animals should be conducted to prevent the transmission of the pathogens.

Relationships between vector-borne parasites and free-living mammals at the Brazilian Pantanal.

In nature, parasitic infections must be addressed as complex systems involving parasite-host relationships on a temporal and spatial scale. Since the parasites cover a great biological diversity, we can expect that wildlife are exposed simultaneously to different parasites. In this sense, the objective of this work was to determine the relationships between free-living mammals and their associated hemoparasites in the Brazilian Pantanal. We used the data published during 2017 and 2018 by de Sousa et al. regarding the detection of vector-borne pathogens (VBP), namely Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Cytauxzoon, Ehrlichia, Hepatozoon, Mycoplasma, and Theileria, in nine species of free-living mammals belonging to orders Carnivora, Rodentia, and Didelphimorphia. We assume as infected an individual positive on any of parasitological, molecular, and/or serological tests. We observed a strong association between the wild felid Leopardus pardalis with Cytauxzoon, the wild canid Cerdocyon thous with Hepatozoon, the small rodent Thrichomys fosteri with Bartonella, and the procyonid Nasua nasua with Mycoplasma and Theileria. Therefore, N. nasua, C. thous, T. fosteri, and the small rodent Oecomys mamorae can be considered key species for the maintenance of selected VBP in the Pantanal region, because they showed a high number of single and coinfections. Together, our results highlighted the importance of coinfection as a common phenomenon in nature.

Absence of blood parasites and other vector-borne pathogens in Alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) in Western Austria.

The importance of vectors and vector-borne diseases (VBDs) is increasing on a global scale. Many vectors and pathogens benefit from global warming and can spread to novel habitats where they were formerly not present, including higher altitudes. Various vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, have been reported in, for instance, red foxes and wild ungulates in the Western Austrian Alps. However, these animals are known to migrate to lower regions in the winter season, and therefore, it is of interest to investigate if VBPs are also present in mammals faithful to their higher altitude alpine habitat all year round. Blood parasites and other VBPs, namely. Trypanosomatidae, piroplasms, Hepatozoon spp., filarioid helminths, Anaplasmataceae, and Rickettisa spp., were thus analysed with PCR in 148 alpine marmots (Marmota marmota). None of the marmots' blood samples was positive for these VBPs, indicating a low abundance or absence of competent vectors in the alpine region. Alpine marmots seem to be naïve for VBPs (at least in our study area). An overview of VBD agents in other marmot species is given.

Serosurvey of arthropod-borne diseases among shelter dogs in the Cumberland Gap Region of the United States.

BACKGROUND: The Cumberland Gap Region (CGR) of the United States is a natural corridor between the southeastern, northeastern, and midwestern regions of the country. CGR has also many species of ticks and mosquitos that serve as competent vectors for important animal and human pathogens. In this study, we tested dogs from six different animal shelters in the CGR for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, canine ehrlichiosis and canine heartworm disease. RESULTS: Sera from 157 shelter dogs were tested for antibodies to RMSF agent, Rickettsia rickettsii, using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Sixty-six dogs (42.0%) were positive for either IgM or IgG, or both IgM and IgG antibodies to R. rickettsii. Moreover, the same set of sera (n = 157) plus an and additional sera (n = 75) from resident dogs at the same shelters were tested using the SNAP 4Dx Plus. Of 232 dogs tested, two (0.9%) were positive for antibodies to Anaplasma phagocytophilum/A. platys, nine (3.9%) were positive for antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi, 23 (9.9%) for positive for antibodies to Ehrlichia canis/E. ewingii, and 13 (5.6%) were positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigen. Co-infection with two or more etiologic agents was detected in five animals. Three dogs had antibodies to both B. burgdorferi and E. canis/E. ewingii, and two dogs were positive for D. immitis antigen and antibodies to B. burgdorferi and E. canis/E. ewingii. CONCLUSIONS: Shelter dogs in the CGR are exposed to a number of important vector-borne pathogens. Further studies are required to ascertain the roles these animals play in maintenance and transmission of these pathogens.

MOLECULAR PREVALENCE OF SELECTED VECTOR-BORNE ORGANISMS IN CAPTIVE RED WOLVES (CANIS RUFUS).

The red wolf (Canis rufus) is a critically endangered North American canid, with surviving conspecifics divided between a captive breeding population and a reintroduced free-ranging population. The goal of this study was to assess the prevalence of selected vector-borne pathogens in captive red wolves. Whole blood samples were collected from 35 captive red wolves. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed on extracted DNA to identify infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and vector-borne organisms within the following genera: Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, Neoehrlichia, Neorickettsia, and Rickettsia. All red wolves sampled were PCR-negative for all tested organisms. These pathogens are unlikely to constitute threats to red wolf conservation and breeding efforts under current captive management conditions. The results of this study establish a baseline that may facilitate ongoing disease monitoring in this species.

The prevalence of selected vector-borne diseases in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in the United Arab Emirates.

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) affecting dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) have considerable importance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the consequences associated with production decline and economic losses. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of selected VBDs in camels in the UAE and identify risk factors. This research is currently affected by the low number of epidemiological molecular surveys addressing this issue. Blood samples were obtained from 425 dromedary camels from different locations across the UAE. Whole genomic DNA was isolated, and PCR screening was done to detect piroplasmids (Babesia/Theileria spp.), Trypanosoma spp., and Anaplasmataceae spp. (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia and Wolbachia spp.). Amplicons were sequenced, and phylogenetic trees were constructed. Trypanosoma sequences were identified as T. brucei evansi, whereas Anaplasmataceae sequences were identified as A. platys-like. All camels were negative for Babesia/Theileria spp. (0%); however, 18 camels were positive for T. b. evansi (4%) and 52 were positive for A. platys-like (12%). Mixed infection with T. b. evansi and A. platys-like was found in one camel. Statistical analyses revealed that camels with a brown coat colour were significantly more prone to acquire the A. platys-like strain compared with those having a clearer coat. A similar finding was observed when comparing urban moving camels with desert indoor and urban indoor camels. Continuous disease surveillance is required to ensure and maintain the good health status of the camels in the UAE. Nonetheless, the risk of disease outbreak remains if the misuse of drugs continues.

Current distribution of selected canine vector-borne diseases in domestic dogs from Barranquilla and Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Climate change, the increase of travel with infected animals from endemic areas, the introduction of new vectors in these areas and environmental changes caused by human activity, among other factors, have contributed to the establishment and increase of canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs), several of which are zoonotic and pose a risk to the human population. In Colombia, there are very few studies that address the prevalence of these diseases. The objective of this study was to update the prevalence of cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and Lyme borreliosis in dogs in Barranquilla and Puerto Colombia, areas of northern Colombia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study included 354 dogs presented to veterinary clinics for routine health examination and foundations for stray dogs between November 2016 and July 2018. RESULTS: The percentage of dogs positive for Ehrlichia spp. was 61.86%, followed by 22.03% for Anaplasma spp., 11.30% positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigens and 0.56% positive for Borrelia burgdorferi. In addition, several dogs positive for antibodies against two or more infectious diseases were found. Higher seroprevalences were documented in outdoor dogs compared to indoor-housed dogs. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that veterinarians should routinely implement prophylactic programmes for these CVBDs, particularly for dogs that reside outdoors.

Vector-borne disease and its relationship to hematologic abnormalities and microalbuminuria in retired racing and show-bred greyhounds.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals for platelets and white blood cell (WBCs) counts are lower in greyhounds than other breeds. Proteinuria is common. Vector-borne diseases (VBD) cause thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and proteinuria. Racing greyhounds are commonly exposed to vectors that carry multiple organisms capable of chronically infecting clinically healthy dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Vector-borne disease prevalence is higher in retired racing greyhounds than in show-bred greyhounds. Occult infection contributes to breed-related laboratory abnormalities. ANIMALS: Thirty National Greyhound Association (NGA) retired racing and 28 American Kennel Club (AKC) show-bred greyhounds. METHODS: Peripheral blood was tested for Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, hemotropic Mycoplasma, and Rickettsia species using PCR. Antibodies to Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia species and Borrelia burgdorferi were detected using immunofluorescence and ELISA assays. Complete blood counts, semiquantitative platelet estimates, and microalbuminuria concentration were determined. RESULTS: Seven of 30 NGA and 1/28 AKC greyhounds tested positive for ≥1 VBD (P = .05). More positive tests were documented in NGA (10/630) than in AKC dogs (1/588; P = .02). Exposure to Bartonella species (3/30), Babesia vogeli (2/30), Ehrlichia canis (1/30), and infection with Mycoplasma hemocanis (3/30) occurred in NGA dogs. Platelet counts or estimates were >170 000/µL. White blood cell counts <4000/µL (4/28 AKC; 5/30 NGA, P > .99; 1/8 VBD positive; 8/51 VBD negative, P = .99) and microalbuminuria (10/21 AKC; 5/26 NGA, P = .06; 1/8 VBD positive; 14/25 VBD negative, P = .41) were not associated with VBD. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The prevalence of thrombocytopenia and B. vogeli exposure was lower than previously documented. Larger studies investigating the health impact of multiple VBD organisms are warranted.

Serological evidence of exposure to Bartonella sp. in dogs with suspected vector-borne diseases, toxoplasmosis and neosporosis.

Bartonellosis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution that infect a broad spectrum of mammalian species. Despite the recent studies carried out in Brazil, information regarding Bartonella in dogs are scarce. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to investigate the exposure to Bartonella sp. in dogs by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Three hundred and thirty-five archived serum samples from dogs previously tested for vector-borne pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii, and Neospora caninum were screened for the presence of IgG antibodies to Bartonella sp. All dogs originated from the Metropolitan region of Ribeirão Preto, northeast of the State of São Paulo. Twenty-eight samples (8.3%) were positive for Bartonella sp. at the cut-off of 64. Among the 28 seropositive samples for Bartonella sp., 16 (57.1%) were also seropositive for Ehrlichia canis, 12 (42.8%) for Babesia vogeli, five (17.8%) for T. gondii and three (10.7%) for L. infantum and N. caninum. Our results demonstrated that dogs sampled were exposed to Bartonella sp. Since all the animals sampled in the present study were from private owners, our findings demonstrate that these people may also be exposed to Bartonella sp. Further studies designed to assess whether the infection by other arthropod-borne pathogens such as B. vogeli and E. canis are risk factors for Bartonella infection are needed.

Vector-borne pathogens in dogs from areas where leishmaniosis is endemic.

Many vector-borne pathogens (VBPs), including Ehrlichia canis and Dirofilaria immitis, may infect simultaneously dogs in areas where Leishmania infantum is endemic, especially in the tropics, where highly abundant arthropod vectors thrive. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of simultaneous VBPs infection in Leishmania-positive and Leishmania-negative dogs. Animals enrolled in this study were divided in two groups (G1 and G2), G1 being comprised of L. infantum-infected dogs (n = 58) and the G2 of L. infantum-negative dogs (n = 58). Blood samples were screened using a qualitative ELISA test (SNAP® 4Dx® Plus, IDEXX Laboratory, Westbrook, Maine, USA) for detection of antibodies against Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Ehrlichia spp. and antigens of Dirofilaria immitis. Overall, 89.7% (52/58) of dogs from G1 were positive for at least one VBP, whereas 50.0% (29/58) of dogs from G2 dogs were positive as well. The highest positivity was to E. canis (67.2%; 78/116), followed by D. immitis (12.9%; 15/116), and A. platys (6.0%; 7/116). None of the animals scored positive for B. burgdorferi s.l.. There was a statistically significant difference for the simultaneous positivity to E. canis plus D. immitis between groups. Furthermore, 43.1% (25/58) of dogs from G1 were infested by ectoparasites (ticks, fleas, or both), compared to 20.6% (12/58) of dogs from G2. In conclusion, Leishmania-infected dogs were more co-infected with other VBPs than Leishmania-negative animals. Therefore, it is pivotal to increase the awareness of veterinarian and dog owners about the importance of testing Leishmania-infected dogs for other VBPs, as this may directly affect treatment decisions and management.

Ecological niche modeling predicting the potential distribution of African horse sickness virus from 2020 to 2060.

African horse sickness is a vector-borne, non-contagious and highly infectious disease of equines caused by African horse sickness viruses (AHSv) that mainly affect horses. The occurrence of the disease causes huge economic impacts because of its high fatality rate, trade ban and disease control costs. In the planning of vectors and vector-borne diseases like AHS, the application of Ecological niche models (ENM) used an enormous contribution in precisely delineating the suitable habitats of the vector. We developed an ENM to delineate the global suitability of AHSv based on retrospective outbreak data records from 2005 to 2019. The model was developed in an R software program using the Biomod2 package with an Ensemble modeling technique. Predictive environmental variables like mean diurnal range, mean precipitation of driest month(mm), precipitation seasonality (cv), mean annual maximum temperature (oc), mean annual minimum temperature (oc), mean precipitation of warmest quarter(mm), mean precipitation of coldest quarter (mm), mean annual precipitation (mm), solar radiation (kj /day), elevation/altitude (m), wind speed (m/s) were used to develop the model. From these variables, solar radiation, mean maximum temperature, average annual precipitation, altitude and precipitation seasonality contributed 36.83%, 17.1%, 14.34%, 7.61%, and 6.4%, respectively. The model depicted the sub-Sahara African continent as the most suitable area for the virus. Mainly Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Malawi are African countries identified as highly suitable countries for the virus. Besides, OIE-listed disease-free countries like India, Australia, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia have been found suitable for the virus. This model can be used as an epidemiological tool in planning control and surveillance of diseases nationally or internationally.

Mosquito population structure, pathogen surveillance and insecticide resistance monitoring in urban regions of Crete, Greece.

BACKGROUND: In Greece vector borne diseases (VBD) and foremost West Nile virus (WNV) pose an important threat to public health and the tourist industry, the primary sector of contribution to the national economy. The island of Crete, is one of Greece's major tourist destinations receiving annually over 5 million tourists making regional VBD control both a public health and economic priority. METHODOLOGY: Under the auspices of the Region of Crete, a systematic integrative surveillance network targeting mosquitoes and associated pathogens was established in Crete for the years 2018-2020. Using conventional and molecular diagnostic tools we investigated the mosquito species composition and population dynamics, pathogen infection occurrences in vector populations and in sentinel chickens, and the insecticide resistance status of the major vector species. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Important disease vectors were recorded across the island including Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus, and Anopheles superpictus. Over 75% of the sampled specimens were collected in the western prefectures potentially attributed to the local precipitation patterns, with Cx. pipiens being the most dominant species. Although no pathogens (flaviviruses) were detected in the analysed mosquito specimens, chicken blood serum analyses recorded a 1.7% WNV antibody detection rate in the 2018 samples. Notably detection of the first WNV positive chicken preceded human WNV occurrence in the same region by approximately two weeks. The chitin synthase mutation I1043F (associated with high diflubenzuron resistance) was recorded at an 8% allelic frequency in Lasithi prefecture Cx. pipiens mosquitoes (sampled in 2020) for the first time in Greece. Markedly, Cx. pipiens populations in all four prefectures were found harboring the kdr mutations L1014F/C/S (associated with pyrethroid resistance) at a close to fixation rate, with mutation L1014C being the most commonly found allele (≥74% representation). Voltage gated sodium channel analyses in Ae. albopictus revealed the presence of the kdr mutations F1534C and I1532T (associated with putative mild pyrethroid resistance phenotypes) yet absence of V1016G. Allele F1534C was recorded in all prefectures (at an allelic frequency range of 25-46.6%) while I1532T was detected in populations from Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion (at frequencies below 7.1%). Finally, no kdr mutations were detected in the Anopheles specimens included in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of our study are of major concern for VBD control in Crete, highlighting (i) the necessity for establishing seasonal integrated entomological/pathogen surveillance programs, supporting the design of targeted vector control responses and; ii) the need for establishing appropriate insecticide resistance management programs ensuring the efficacy and sustainable use of DFB and pyrethroid based products in vector control.

Large herbivore loss has complex effects on mosquito ecology and vector-borne disease risk.

Loss of biodiversity can affect transmission of infectious diseases in at least two ways: by altering host and vector abundance or by influencing host and vector behaviour. We used a large herbivore exclusion experiment to investigate the effects of wildlife loss on the abundance and feeding behaviour of mosquito vectors and to explore consequences for vector-borne disease transmission. Large herbivore loss affected both mosquito abundance and blood-feeding behaviour. For Aedes mcintoshi, the dominant mosquito species in our study and a primary vector of Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), abundance decreased with large herbivore loss, while blood feeding on humans increased. Despite an elevated human biting rate in the absence of large herbivores, we estimated that the potential for RVFV transmission to humans doubles in the presence of large herbivores. These results demonstrate that multiple effects of biodiversity loss on vectors can lead to counterintuitive outcomes for human disease risk.

A Portrait of Sentinel Surveillance Networks for Vector-Borne Diseases: A Scoping Review Supporting Sentinel Network Design.

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are continuing to emerge globally, requiring new surveillance systems to follow increasing VBD risk for human populations. Sentinel surveillance is an approach that allows tracking of disease risk through time using limited resources. However, there is no consensus on how best to design a sentinel surveillance network in the context of VBDs. We conducted a scoping review to compare VBD sentinel surveillance systems worldwide with the aim of identifying key design features associated with effective networks. Overall, VBD surveillance networks were used most commonly for malaria, West Nile virus, and lymphatic filariasis. A total of 45 criteria for the selection of sentinel unit location were identified. Risk-based criteria were the most often used, and logistic regression showed that using risk-based criteria dependent on host animals is particularly correlated with surveillance system sensitivity (p < 0.018). We identify tools that could prove valuable for sentinel surveillance network design, including a standardized approach for evaluating surveillance systems and a tool to prioritize criteria for selecting optimal geographic locations for spatial sentinel units.

Unleashing the literature: a scoping review of canine zoonotic and vectorborne disease research in Canis familiaris in North America.

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) provide important benefits to human beings but can also transmit pathogens. Information on the breadth of canine zoonoses and vectorborne research in North America is scarce. A scoping review was conducted to examine (1) the number and type of canine zoonoses and vectorborne studies in domestic dogs conducted in North America since the start of the 21st century; (2) the main research methods reported; (3) the Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) countries in which research was conducted; and (4) whether collaborative integrated terminology was reported in objectives or methods sections. Title/abstract screening, full-text screening, and data-charting were completed by two reviewers. We identified 507 publications evaluating 43 zoonotic or vectorborne pathogens in domestic dogs. Most studies (n = 391 of 512 (76.37%)) were conducted in the USA. The five most frequently researched pathogens were Ehrlichia spp. (n = 81 of 507 (15.98%)), Borrelia burgdorferi (n = 64 of 507 (12.62%)), Leptospira spp. (n = 54 of 507 (10.65%)), Rabies virus (n = 42 of 507 (8.28%)), and Influenza viruses (n = 41 of 507 (8.09%)). These pathogens can cause moderate to severe health outcomes in human beings and in dogs irrespective of IHDI ranking; our review highlights important counts of research conduct among North American countries.