ArticleParasites & vectors2026
Nationwide seroepidemiology of canine exposure to Ehrlichia canis and Babesia spp. in Portugal (2015-2025): One Health biosentinel surveillance.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEhrlichia canis and canine Babesia spp. are widely distributed tick-borne pathogens of veterinary and One Health relevance. Contemporary nationwide data on canine exposure and associated determinants in Portugal are limited. This study aimed to estimate seropositivity proportions and explore epidemiological determinants of exposure to E. canis and Babesia spp. in clinically suspected dogs from Portugal over an 11-year period (2015-2025).
methodsSerum samples from 2960 dogs collected between 2015 and 2025 were analysed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits to detect immunoglobulin G antibodies to E. canis and Babesia spp. Associations with demographic and geographic variables were assessed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify potential risk factors (P < 0.05), and model performance was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, Nagelkerke's R
resultsOverall seropositivity was 4.0% (116/2,872) for E. canis and 12.0% (337/2,818) for Babesia spp. Borderline results accounted for 3.0% (88/2,960) and 4.8% (142/2,960), respectively. E. canis seropositivity varied significantly by Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level 2 region (P < 0.001), with highest values in the Algarve (15.3%; odds ratio [OR] = 4.3, P < 0.001) and Setúbal Peninsula (50.0%; OR = 23.9, P = 0.025). Age was associated with E. canis exposure (P = 0.014), with increased odds in dogs aged 6 to < 11 years and ≥ 11 years (both OR = 2.1, P < 0.05). No significant geographical association was observed for Babesia spp. (P = 0.803), and sex and age were not significant predictors. Seropositivity to Babesia spp. was a risk factor for seropositivity to E. canis (OR = 3.6, P < 0.001). Multivariable models retained no independent predictors (Nagelkerke R
conclusionsThis study provides a nationwide, long-term retrospective assessment of serological exposure to E. canis and Babesia spp. among clinically suspect dogs in Portugal. Exposure to E. canis showed marked regional heterogeneity, particularly in southern Portugal, whereas Babesia spp. showed no significant regional association. Co-seropositivity, although uncommon, is consistent with shared tick-borne exposure pathways. These findings support risk-based tick control and continued surveillance within a One Health framework.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.