First Serological and Molecular Diagnosis of Canine Anaplasma phagocytophilum Bacterium in Iraq

This study was aimed to detect an occurrence and demonstrate the persistence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacterium in dogs in Baghdad province/Iraq, and an investigation of its relationship with the most important risk factors that involved sex, age and inhabitant region. For this object, a totally of 267 dogs were submitted for blood samples collection, which examined by using of four diagnostic methods included blood smear test, rapid test, indirect ELISA and PCR technique. Although, the blood smear test was failed in detection of inclusion bodies specific for A. phagocytophilum in granulocytes, the rapid test and indirect ELISA have been revealed on 9 (3.37%) and 13 (4.87%) seropositive dogs, respectively; while, the PCR had been detected 7 (2.62%) positive dogs. Statistically, the significant differences were reported between some applied diagnostic assays, as well as between the groups related to age factor at a level of (P≤0.05), whereas, they did not detected between the groups associated to both sex and inhabitant factors.