Objective: This study aims to investigate the infection of Method: Infection of the definitive human host and intermediate fish host by Results: In 2016-2020, the average population infection rate of Hunan was 1.38%, while in Tongdao County the rate was up to 26.90%, and the highest fish infection rate was detected in Qiyang County (99.44% in the dorsal fin of Conclusion The systematically study of
Animals ; Cat Diseases/parasitology* ; Cats ; China/epidemiology* ; Clonorchiasis/veterinary* ; Clonorchis sinensis/genetics* ; Dog Diseases/parasitology* ; Dogs ; Fish Diseases/parasitology* ; Fishes ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Species Specificity

Chinese ferret badger (FB)-transmitted rabies is a serious threat to public health in southeast China. Although mostly associated with dogs, the rabies virus (RABV) presents genetic diversity and has a significantly wide host range in China. Instead of the dog- and wildlife-associated China II lineage in the past decades, the China I lineage has become the main epidemic group hosted and transmitted by dogs. In this study, four new lineages, including 43 RABVs from FBs, have been classified within the dog-dominated China I lineage since 2014. FB RABVs have been previously categorized in the China II lineage. Moreover, FB-hosted viruses seem to have become the main independent FB-associated clade in the phylogenetic tree. This claim suggests that the increasing genetic diversity of RABVs in FBs is a result of the selective pressure from coexisting dog rabies. FB transmission has become complicated and serious with the coexistence of dog rabies. Therefore, apart from targeting FB rabies, priority should be provided by the appropriate state agencies to perform mass immunization of dog against rabies.
Animals ; Brain ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Reservoirs ; veterinary ; virology ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; transmission ; virology ; Dogs ; Ferrets ; virology ; Genetic Linkage ; Genetic Variation ; Phylogeny ; Phylogeography ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; transmission ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics

Lyssaviruses, including Rabies virus, Duvenhage virus, European bat lyssavirus 1, European bat lyssavirus 2, Australian bat lyssavirus, and Irkut virus (IRKV), have caused human fatalities, but infection of IRKV in dogs has not been previously reported. In China, a dead dog that previously bit a human was determined to be infected with IRKV. Pathogenicity tests revealed that IRKVs can cause rabies-like disease in dogs and cats after laboratory infection. The close relationship between humans and pets, such as dogs and cats, may generate a new spillover-spreading route for IRKV infection. Therefore, additional attention should be paid to trans-species infection of IRKV between bats and dogs or dogs and humans through investigation of the prevalence and circulation patterns of IRKV in China.
Animals ; China ; Disease Transmission, Infectious ; Disease Vectors ; Dog Diseases ; transmission ; virology ; Dogs ; Genes, Viral ; Humans ; Lyssavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; pathogenicity ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Rhabdoviridae Infections ; transmission ; veterinary ; virology

Rabies remains a continuous threat to public health in Beijing. In this study, a total of 224 brain tissues were collected from suspected infected stray dogs within Beijing between January 2015 and December 2016. Among them, total of 67 samples were diagnosed positive for rabies. In the phylogenetic analysis, rabies in Beijing is currently a relatively independent public health issue originating from local rabid dogs apart from the imported cases from elsewhere in the country. Because vaccination of unregistered dogs against rabies is still neglected in Beijing and other regions of China, national and local authorities should play central roles in all related aspects, such as development of policies, engagement of stakeholders for public and professional education, entire vaccination process, and animal management.
Animals ; Beijing ; epidemiology ; Bites and Stings ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; virology ; Dogs ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Public Health ; Rabies ; prevention & control ; transmission ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies Vaccines ; immunology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; Zoonoses

Nematomorpha, horsehair or Gordian worms, include about 300 freshwater species in 22 genera (Gordiida) and 5 marine species in 1 marine genus (Nectonema). They are parasitic in arthropods during their juvenile stage. In the present study, the used gordian worm was found in the feces of a dog (5-month old, male) in July 2014. Following the worm analysis using light and scanning electron microscopes, the morphological classification was re-evaluated with molecular analysis. The worm was determined to be a male worm having a bi-lobed tail and had male gonads in cross sections. It was identified as Gordius sp. (Nematomorpha: Gordiidae) based on the characteristic morphologies of cross sections and areole on the cuticle. DNA analysis on 18S rRNA partial sequence arrangements was also carried out, and the gordiid worm was assumed to be close to the genus Gordius based on a phylogenic tree analysis.
Animals ; Dog Diseases/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Feces/*parasitology ; Helminthiasis, Animal/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Helminths/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny

Tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are pseudophyllidean cestodes endemic in Korea. At present, it is unclear which Spirometra species are responsible for causing human infections, and little information is available on the epidemiological profiles of Spirometra species infecting humans in Korea. Between 1979 and 2009, a total of 50 spargana from human patients and 2 adult specimens obtained from experimentally infected carnivorous animals were analyzed according to genetic and taxonomic criteria and classified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei or Spirometra decipiens depending on the morphology. Morphologically, S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens are different in that the spirally coiled uterus in S. erinaceieuropaei has 5-7 complete coils, while in S. decipiens it has only 4.5 coils. In addition, there is a 9.3% (146/1,566) sequence different between S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens in the cox1 gene. Partial cox1 sequences (390 bp) from 35 Korean isolates showed 99.4% (388/390) similarity with the reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei from Korea (G1724; GenBank KJ599680) and an additional 15 Korean isolates revealed 99.2% (387/390) similarity with the reference sequences of S. decipiens from Korea (G1657; GenBank KJ599679). Based on morphologic and molecular databases, the estimated population ratio of S. erinaceieuropaei to S. decipiens was 35: 15. Our results indicate that both S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens found in Korea infect humans, with S. erinaceieuropaei being 2 times more prevalent than S. decipiens. This study is the first to report human sparganosis caused by S. decipiens in humans in Korea.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Cat Diseases/parasitology ; Cats ; Dog Diseases/parasitology ; Dogs ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Female ; Helminth Proteins/genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Sparganosis/diagnosis/*parasitology ; Spirometra/anatomy & histology/classification/*genetics/*isolation & purification ; Young Adult

Increasing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation and maintenance. Additionally, it is becoming apparent that cyclooxygenase (COX) signaling is associated with canine mammary tumor development. The goals of the present study were to investigate COX-2 expression patterns and their effect on CSC-mediated tumor initiation in primary canine mammary tissues and tumorsphere models using immunohistochemistry. Patterns of COX-2, CD44, octamer-binding transcription factor (Oct)-3/4, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression were examined in malignant mammary tumor (MMT) samples and analyzed in terms of clinicopathological characteristics. COX-2 and Oct-3/4 expression was higher in MMTs compared to other histological samples with heterogeneous patterns. In MMTs, COX-2 expression correlated with tumor malignancy features. Significant associations between COX-2, CD44, and EGFR were observed in low-differentiated MMTs. Comparative analysis showed that the levels of COX-2, CD44, and Oct-3/4 expression varied significantly among TSs of three histological grades. Enhanced COX-2 staining was consistently observed in TSs. Similar levels of staining intensity were found for CD44 and Oct-3/4, but EGFR expression was weak. Our findings indicate the potential role of COX-2 in CSC-mediated tumor initiation, and suggest that COX-2 inhibition may help treat canine mammary tumors by targeting CSCs.
Animals ; Antigens, CD44/genetics/metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics/metabolism ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/*genetics/metabolism ; Cyclooxygenase 2/*genetics/metabolism ; Dog Diseases/*genetics/metabolism ; Dogs ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal/*genetics/metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/*genetics/metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/*metabolism ; Octamer Transcription Factor-3/genetics/metabolism ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor/genetics/metabolism ; Retrospective Studies

Meningoencephalitis (ME) is a common inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system in dogs. Clinically, ME has both infectious and non-infectious causes. In the present study, a multiplex quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (mqPCR) panel was optimized for the detection of eight canine neurologic pathogens (Blastomyces dermatitidis, Cryptococcus spp., Neospora caninum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Ehrlichia canis, and canine distemper virus [CDV]). The mqPCR panel was subsequently applied to 53 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples collected from dogs with ME. The analytic sensitivity (i.e., limit of detection, expressed as molecules per 1 microL of recombinant vector) was 3.8 for CDV, 3.7 for Ehrlichia canis, 3.7 for Bartonella spp., 3.8 for Borrelia burgdorferi, 3.7 for Blastomyces dermatitidis, 3.7 for Cryptococcus spp., 38 for Neospora caninum, and 3.7 for Toxoplasma gondii. Among the tested CSF samples, seven (15%) were positive for the following pathogens in decreasing order of frequency: Cryptococcus spp. (3/7), Blastomyces dermatitidis (2/7), and Borrelia burgdorferi (2/7). In summary, use of an mqPCR panel with high analytic sensitivity as an initial screen for infectious agents in dogs with ME could facilitate the selection of early treatment strategies and improve outcomes.
Animals ; Bacteria/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Dog Diseases/*diagnosis/microbiology/parasitology ; Dogs ; Meningoencephalitis/diagnosis/microbiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction/*veterinary ; Prevalence ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/*veterinary ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution. The present study investigated the prevalence of T. gondii in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China, using both serological and molecular detection. A total of 364 serum samples and 432 liver tissue samples were collected from the slaughter house between December 2012 and January 2013 and were examined for T. gondii IgG antibody by ELISA and T. gondii DNA by semi-nested PCR based on B1 gene, respectively. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was 51.9%, and T. gondii DNA was detected in 37 of 432 (8.6%) liver tissue samples. These positive DNA samples were analyzed by PCR-RFLP at 3'- and 5'-SAG2. Only 8 samples gave the PCR-RFLP data, and they were all classified as type I, which may suggest that the T. gondii isolates from dogs in Zhanjiang city may represent type I or type I variant. This study revealed the high prevalence of T. gondii infection in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China. Integrated measures should be taken to prevent and control toxoplasmosis in dogs in this area for public health concern.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; China/epidemiology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Female ; Genotype ; Liver/parasitology ; Male ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/blood/epidemiology/*parasitology

Giardia is a major public health concern and considered as reemerging in industrialized countries. The present study investigated the prevalence of giardiosis in 202 sheltered dogs using PCR. The infection rate was 33.2% (67/202); Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daejeon showed 25.7% (39/152, P<0.0001) and 56% (28/50), respectively. The prevalence of infected female dogs (46.7%, P<0.001) was higher than in male dogs (21.8%). A higher prevalence (43.5%, P<0.0001) was observed in mixed breed dogs than purebred (14.1%). Although most of the fecal samples collected were from dogs of > or =1 year of age which showed only 27.4% positive rate, 61.8% (P<0.001) of the total samples collected from young animals (<1 year of age) were positive for G. intestinalis. A significantly higher prevalence in symptomatic dogs (60.8%, P<0.0001) was observed than in asymptomatic dogs (23.8%). Furthermore, the analysis of nucleotide sequences of the samples revealed that G. intestinalis Assemblages A and C were found in the feces of dogs from Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daejeon. Since G. intestinalis Assemblage A has been known to infect humans, our results suggest that dogs can act as an important reservoir of giardiosis in Korea. Hence, hygienic management should be given to prevent possible transmission to humans.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Genotype ; Giardia/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Giardiasis/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology