Entwicklung eines indirekten ELISA-Testsystems zur Serodiagnostik der caninen Protothekeninfektion und nachfolgender Untersuchung der Prävalenz der caninen Protothekose

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The study focuses on developing an indirect ELISA test for diagnosing canine prototheca infection and investigating its prevalence. Prototheca, a genus of achlorophyllous, yeast-like microalgae, is known to infect both humans and animals, with five species identified. Notably, Prototheca zopfii genotype 2 has been linked to inflammation in dairy cows and sporadic infections in dogs. Affected dogs often exhibit severe symptoms, including hemorrhagic enterocolitis and potential ocular and central nervous issues. The research aimed to create an ELISA test to detect prototheca-specific antibodies in dog serum and assess the prevalence of the infection in a large dog population. A total of 363 dogs were tested, categorized into three groups: healthy dogs, those with gastrointestinal symptoms, and dogs with chronic or immune-mediated diseases. The ELISA successfully identified species-specific antibodies in enteritic dogs, demonstrating 100% specificity and sensitivity, indicating excellent diagnostic capability. The study confirmed canine protothecosis in two cases, resulting in a prevalence of 3.1% among enteritic dogs. No Prototheca species were found in the other groups. This prevalence suggests that Prototheca infection should be considered in dogs with gastrointestinal symptoms. The serological test can mitigate the risk of false negatives due to intermittent pathogen shedding, offering a rapid and reliable diagnostic tool