A sero-epidemiological study of Rickettsia typhi infection in dogs from Soria province, central Spain

Data relating to Rickettsia typhi infection in Spain are scarce. The seroprevalence of canine infection with this species has now been investigated, in dogs from the central province of Soria. The results of indirect immunofluorescence assays indicated that nine (12.3%) of the 73 dogs checked were carrying antibodies against R. typhi. The gender, age and breed of the dog, and whether it was used for hunting, shepherding, guarding or simply as a pet, apparently had no significant affect on the probability of it being seropositive. Being infested with fleas or having a history of such infestation was, however, significantly associated with seropositivity. The present results confirm that dogs may be infected with R. typhi and indicate their potential usefulness as sentinels in epidemiological studies of the pathogen. The results of wide-scale, serological studies of dogs may allow the geographical distribution of R. typhi to be mapped relatively simply.