Antibodies against tick-borne pathogens in domestic dogs in Norway: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, tick-borne encephalitis virus, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum.
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13028-026-00863-8
- PMID
- 41834032
- PMCID
- PMC13104503
- OpenAlex
- W7135381438
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Publisher unavailable
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings indicate widespread canine exposure to tick-borne pathogens in Norway and support the use of dogs as sentinel species for assessing human risk from these pathogens.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study estimated the seroprevalence of antibodies against three tick-borne pathogens in domestic dogs in Norway and evaluated dogs as sentinel species for surveillance at the northern range limit of Ixodes ricinus.
Study design
Cross-sectional seroprevalence study using immunoblot assays to detect IgG antibodies in serum samples from domestic dogs collected across 15 Norwegian counties between 2016 and 2023.
Population and setting
Four hundred thirty-three domestic dogs residing across 15 counties in Norway, sampled between 2016 and 2023.
Main findings
Overall, 38% of dogs were seropositive for at least one pathogen: 20% for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, 19% for tick-borne encephalitis virus, and 11% for Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Statistically significant regional differences were observed for TBEV and A. phagocytophilum.
Public-health relevance
The findings indicate widespread canine exposure to tick-borne pathogens in Norway and support the use of dogs as sentinel species for assessing human risk from these pathogens.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. Decision-grade interpretation requires review of the original paper, including detailed methods, statistical analyses, sampling strategy, and discussion of serological cross-reactivity and temporal trends.
GIDS interpretation
This article is discoverable through GIDS classifier links for Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, Norway, transmission dynamics, surveillance, and One Health, reflecting its focus on multi-pathogen seroprevalence in a sentinel animal population at the expanding northern range of the tick vector.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 10 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.