Infections by Ehrlichia spp., Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. In Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar, Venezuela

Introduction: The prevalence of tick-borne infections remains unknown in most Latin American countries, including Venezuela. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of tick-borne infections in humans and dogs in Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar state, Venezuela. Material and methods: An exploratory, descriptive, and prospective study was conducted involving 181 individuals –who voluntarily agreed to participate and provided their written informed consent– and 10 dogs brought in by their owners. A clinical-epidemiological survey was conducted, and venous and capillary blood samples were collected. Buffy coat and blood smear tests were prepared and stained using Giemsa. Results: Tick-borne infections were detected in 85.1% (n = 154) of the participants. The most frequent infection was caused by Ehrlichia spp. (n = 153; 84.5%), followed by Babesia spp. (n = 39; 21.5%), and Anaplasma spp. (n = 39; 21.5%). Women were the most affected (n = 117; 64.6%), with ages ranging from 5 to 97 years. Among infected individuals, 29.3% (n = 53) were co-infected with Ehrlichia spp. and Babesia spp., while 6.4% (n = 12) presented co-infection with all three pathogens under study. All the dogs (n = 10) presented tick-borne infections: 10 with Ehrlichia spp., 5 with Anaplasma spp., and 5 with Babesia spp. A statistically significant association was found between the presence of peridomestic ticks –favored by not walking the dog and having sick or elderly individuals– and tick-borne infections (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A high prevalence of tick-borne diseases is evidenced, both in the studied humans and dogs.