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Volume 30, Number 10—October 2024
Research

Rapid Increase in Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi Antibodies among Dogs, Northwestern North Carolina, USA, 2017–20211

Peyton K. PretschComments to Author , Katherine Tyrlik-Olk, Hilary Sandborn, Dana A. Giandomenico, Alexis M. Barbarin, Carl Williams, Paul L. Delamater, Barbara Qurollo, Stephanie van der Westhuizen, and Ross M. Boyce
Author affiliations: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA (P.K. Pretsch, K. Tylrik-Olk, H. Sandborn, D.A. Giandomenico, P.L. Delamater, R.M. Boyce); North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (K. Tylrik-Olk, A.M. Barbarin, C. Williams); North Carolina State University, Raleigh (B. Qurollo); Animal Hospital of Boone, Boone, North Carolina, USA (S. van der Westhuizen)

Main Article

Table 2

Anaplasma spp. seroprevalence and incident seropositivity among dogs screened for heartworm and tickborne diseases in Watauga County, North Carolina, USA, 2017–2021*

Year No. tests Seroprevalence, no. (%) Seroprevalence difference, % (95% CI)† Incident seropositivity, no. (%) Risk difference, % (95% CI)†
2017 2,130 2 (0.1) Referent 2 (0.1) Referent
2018 2,114 0 NA 0 NA
2019 2,447 12 (0.5) 0.40 (0.09–0.71) 12 (0.5) 0.40 (0.09–0.70)
2020 2,617 11 (0.4) 0.32 (0.05–0.60) 11 (0.4) 0.33 (0.05–0.61)
2021 3,033 12 (0.4) 0.30 (0.04–0.55) 10 (0.3) 0.24 (−0.01 to 0.48)

*Dogs were screened by using the IDEXX SNAP 4DX Plus assay (IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., https://www.idexx.com). Seroprevalence was defined as the proportion of results positive for Anaplasma spp. antibodies among all IDEXX SNAP 4DX Plus tests completed for each year of the study. Incident seropositivity was defined as the dog’s first Anaplasma spp.–positive result during the study period. A dog was considered Anaplasma spp. positive if it had a positive result for Anaplasma phagocytophilum or Anaplasma platys antibodies; the IDEXX SNAP 4DX Plus test does not differentiate between the 2 species. NA, not applicable. †Absolute measures of effect were analyzed by using generalized estimating equations with robust variance estimators to account for correlations that arise from repeated measures. Models assume an exchangeable correlation structure.

Main Article

1Preliminary results from this study were presented at the Virginia Mosquito Control Association Annual Conference; February 14–15, 2023; Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA; and the North Carolina Mosquito and Vector Control Association Annual Meeting; November 15–17, 2023; Carolina Beach, North Carolina, USA.

Page created: August 15, 2024
Page updated: September 23, 2024
Page reviewed: September 23, 2024
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