Abstract
It was recently reported, on the basis of a taxonomic study, that some strains belonging to Erysipelothrix tonsillarum serovar 7 are a causative agent for dogs with endocarditis. In the present study, to search for the epidemiological features of the infection among dogs, we surveyed the levels and distribution of anti-Erysipelothrix antibodies by way of a growth agglutination (GA) test on abandoned dogs. The serum samples used in this study were obtained from 166 dogs at the Hyogo Prefectural Animal Well-being Center, from 2006 to 2007. The results of the GA test serological survey are as follows. In total, a GA titer of 1 : 16 or higher, which is considered to be positive, was detected in 7 (6.6%) of 106 serum samples, with a high titer of 1 : 128 for one sample, and in 7 (11.7%) of 60 serum samples from the dogs in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In comparison with that from fiscal year 1999, the present positive rate showed a tendency to increase annually. The existence of dogs with a positive level of antibodies against Erysipelothrix with an average of 8.4% prevalence, even if this is a low proportion, indicates a certain risk of Erysipelothrix infection among household dogs.
