Original Project Description:
Chagas disease is a deadly parasitic heart disease of dogs, humans, and other mammals. Chagas disease is a risk where ‘kissing bug’ insect vectors are located, including South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States. The risk of Chagas disease in dogs also extends to regions where dogs from the south may travel or be re-located, so dogs across the US may be at risk. However, tools to prevent and manage canine Chagas cases are lacking as there is no vaccine and no widely-validated antiparasitic treatments. The investigators have spent the past 8 years characterizing how natural infections impact the health of dogs, and how disease progresses in the absence of treatment. Given this baseline information, the team will develop and refine a canine Chagas disease scoring system to categorize the severity of the disease (measured by a panel of sensitive diagnostic tests and clinical assessments). This scoring system is a critical prerequisite for deploying new treatments.
Research Update 03337-EY1: Identification of Bartonella henselae Immunodominant Epitopes for Diagnosis and Prevention of Canine Bartonelloses
Original Project Description:
Bartonella species, a genus of gram-negative bacteria with zoonotic potential, are associated with a wide spectrum of life-threatening diseases in dogs. More than 10 Bartonella species have been implicated in association with serious diseases in dogs, including endocarditis, myocarditis, peliosis hepatis, granulomatous hepatitis, lymphadenitis, hemangiosarcoma, vasculitis, panniculitis, polyarthritis, uveitis, meningitis, and others. Despite recent advances in diagnostic technology for canine bartonelloses, currently available molecular (qPCR, dPCR), culture, and serological based assays lack sensitivity for a diagnosis of Bartonella infection in dogs. Bartonella spp. infections in dogs throughout the United States pose a serious threat to dogs, and public health, because of an increased
risk of transmission from dogs to humans via direct contact with infected fluids, via arthropod vectors, and potentially, through bites. There is an increasingly urgent need for the development of a reliable serodiagnostic assay, as well as for effective strategies to prevent canine bartonelloses.
Research Update 03334-MY1: Antiparasitic Treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Dogs Across Different Stages of Disease for Clinical Cardiac Improvements – the 100-dog Study
Original Project Description:
Chagas disease is a deadly parasitic heart disease of dogs, humans, and other mammals. Chagas disease is a risk where ‘kissing bug’ insect vectors are located, including South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States. The risk of Chagas disease in dogs also extends to regions where dogs from the south may travel or be re-located, so dogs across the US may be at risk. However, tools to prevent and manage canine Chagas cases are lacking as there is no vaccine and no widely-validated antiparasitic treatments. The investigators have spent the past 8 years characterizing how natural infections impact the health of dogs, and how disease progresses in the absence of treatment. Given this baseline information, the team will develop and refine a canine Chagas disease scoring system to categorize the severity of the disease (measured by a panel of sensitive diagnostic tests and clinical assessments). This scoring system is a critical prerequisite for deploying new treatments. Continue reading “Research Update 03334-MY1: Antiparasitic Treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected Dogs Across Different Stages of Disease for Clinical Cardiac Improvements – the 100-dog Study”
Research Update 03337-MY1: Identification of Bartonella henselae Immunodominant Epitopes for Diagnosis and Prevention of Canine Bartonelloses
Original Project Description:
Bartonella species, a genus of gram-negative bacteria with zoonotic potential, are associated with a wide spectrum of life-threatening diseases in dogs. More than 10 Bartonella species have been implicated in association with serious diseases in dogs, including endocarditis, myocarditis, peliosis hepatis, granulomatous hepatitis, lymphadenitis, hemangiosarcoma, vasculitis, panniculitis, polyarthritis, uveitis, meningitis, and others. Despite recent advances in diagnostic technology for canine bartonelloses, currently available molecular (qPCR, dPCR), culture, and serological based assays lack sensitivity for a diagnosis of Bartonella infection in dogs. Bartonella spp. infections in dogs throughout the United States pose a serious threat to dogs, and public health, because of an increased risk of transmission from dogs to humans via direct contact with infected fluids, via arthropod vectors, and potentially, through bites. There is an increasingly urgent need for the development of a reliable serodiagnostic assay, as well as for effective strategies to prevent canine bartonelloses. Continue reading “Research Update 03337-MY1: Identification of Bartonella henselae Immunodominant Epitopes for Diagnosis and Prevention of Canine Bartonelloses”
Research Update CHF 02819 FINAL: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses
Bartonella, a genus of gram-negative bacteria, are associated with a wide spectrum of potentially life-threatening diseases in animals and humans. More than 40 Bartonella species have been reported to infect mammalian reservoir hosts, and infection often leads to chronic bacteremia. At least 10 Bartonella species have been implicated in association with serious diseases in dogs, including endocarditis, hemangiosarcoma, myocarditis, peliosis hepatis, polyarthritis and vasculitis. Despite biomedical advances and ongoing research in the field of canine bartonelloses, currently available PCR, culture, and serological based assays lack sensitivity for diagnosis of bartonelloses. Dogs throughout the United States and much of the world are exposed to Bartonella spp. From a public health perspective there is an increased risk of direct and vector-borne transmission of Bartonella spp. from animals to humans. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02819 FINAL: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses”
Research Update CHF 02819 MY3: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses
As previously reported, due to COVID-19 pandemic and backorders of supplies, we had a short delay in starting the study. We have now received all the lab supplies. Screening of Bh SA2 expression genomic library by colony immunoblotting (Aim1) require additional time and research effort to identify potential diagnostic antigens for Canine Bartonelloses. Once we identify potential diagnostic markers, we will evaluate utility of these proteins and develop a reliable ELISA for serodiagnosis of Bartonella infection in dogs. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02819 MY3: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses”
Research Update CHF 02819 MY2: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses
We are on track to accomplish all of our aims for this study. Due to COVID-19 pandemic and backorders of supplies, we had a short delay in starting the study. We have now received all the lab supplies. Screening of Bh SA2 expression genomic library by colony immunoblotting (Aim1) require additional time and research effort to identify potential diagnostic antigens for canine bartonelloses. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02819 MY2: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses”
Research Update CHF 02819 EY1: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses
During the past 4 years, with support from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, our research group has documented that current serological assays lack sensitivity, specificity, or both for assessing exposure to Bartonella spp. in dogs. Thus, when used diagnostically for an individual dog or epidemiologically for the detection of Bartonella spp. antibodies in dog populations, results would be inaccurate due to false-negative (poor sensitivity) or false positive (poor specificity) IFA testing. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02819 EY1: Identification of Bartonella henselae In Vivo Induced Antigens for Development of a Reliable Serodiagnostic Assay for Canine Bartonelloses”
Research Update CHF 02528 Final: Developing a Next Generation Sequencing Diagnostic Platform for Tick-Borne Diseases
Diagnostic tests based on the detection of DNA from harmful organisms in clinical samples have revolutionized veterinary medicine in the last decades. Currently, diagnostic panels for several
vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are available through universities and private labs in the USA and abroad. However, the vast majority of results from sick dogs are negative, which frustrates veterinarians and dog owners trying to reach a definitive diagnosis. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02528 Final: Developing a Next Generation Sequencing Diagnostic Platform for Tick-Borne Diseases”
Research Update CHF 02553 Final: Targeted Next Generation Sequencing Panel for Comprehensive Testing of Vector-borne Pathogens
We developed a comprehensive method for detecting infectious diseases in dogs, taking the guesswork out of determining which tests to use for diagnosis, and potentially improving disease surveillance because of the comprehensive nature of the test. The method is a targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay, which takes advantage of the amount of data that can be generated with NGS but also includes a PCR step prior to sequencing. This reduces costs associated with the sequencing and provides adequate turn-around time for diagnostic use. Continue reading “Research Update CHF 02553 Final: Targeted Next Generation Sequencing Panel for Comprehensive Testing of Vector-borne Pathogens”