AKC Canine Health Foundation
Awards New Grants to Improve Diagnostics for Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs
RALEIGH, N.C. (July 25, 2016)
– The
AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is
to prevent, treat and cure diseases in all dogs, announces a second round of
new grants awarded through its Tick-Borne Disease Initiative. This
comprehensive Initiative addresses important health concerns that include Lyme
disease, bartonellosis, and ehrlichiosis, through much-needed research in
diagnostics, disease pathogenesis and prevalence.
Edward
B. Breitschwerdt, DVM, DACVIM, of North Carolina State University, will study “Enhanced
Testing for the Diagnosis of Bartonellosis in Dogs.” Bartonellosis is a
potentially life-threatening zoonotic disease distributed throughout the world
by approximately ten different Bartonella
bacteria species. Bartonella bacteria
are transmitted to dogs and humans by ticks, fleas, lice, mites, and sand
flies. Due to a lack of sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests, definitive
diagnosis of bartonellosis in dogs remains a significant problem. Because these
bacteria invade cells and infect tissues throughout the body, this chronic
intracellular infection is difficult to cure with currently used antibiotic
regimens. Dr. Breitschwerdt and his team aim to develop improved blood tests
for bartonellosis in dogs that can also be used for world-wide
sero-epidemiological prevalence studies, and to establish early and accurate
diagnosis.
Pedro
Paul Diniz, DVM, PhD, of Western University of Health Sciences, will study “Broad-Range
Detection of Canine Tick-Borne Disease and Improved Diagnostics Using
Next-Generation Sequencing.” Currently available tests for vector-borne
diseases in dogs rely on previously known DNA sequences of each pathogen, with
little room for detecting new or emerging organisms. This results in false
negatives for tick-borne diseases, leaving veterinarians and dog owners
frustrated by a lack of definitive diagnosis. Using an innovative approach, Dr.
Diniz and team will employ next-generation sequencing (NGS) to overcome the
limitations of current diagnostic technology. Testing samples from dogs naturally
exposed to tick-borne diseases, NGS will detect not only new organisms but also
characterize genetic differences among known organisms. The resulting dataset
of a large number of DNA sequences of known tick-borne organisms and previously
undetected organisms in naturally-infected dogs will support the development of
diagnostic tools to simultaneously advance canine and human health.
In
addition to these two new grants, earlier this year the AKC Canine Health
Foundation awarded
three grants through its Tick-Borne Disease Initiative. The three grants
address Lyme disease, vector-borne disease testing for canine blood donors, and
ehrlichiosis.
Funding for CHF grants comes
from a number of sources, including: corporations, dog clubs, and individuals
who are committed to the betterment of canine health through scientific
research. During 2016, all donations to the Tick-Borne Disease Initiative are
being matched dollar-for-dollar by
the American Kennel Club (up to $250,000). Make an impact and double your donation today: www.akcchf.org/ticks.
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About CHF For more than 20 years, the
Raleigh, NC-based AKC Canine Health Foundation has leveraged the power of
science and research to improve the lives of dogs and their people. The
Foundation works to prevent, treat, and cure diseases that impact all dogs,
while providing professional information and resources for a new breed of dog
owner. Take action because you care; find out more online at www.akcchf.org.