THE INVESTIGATION OF LEGIONELLA PNEUMOPHILA SEROGROUP 1 PRESENCE IN CLINICAL SYMPTOMED DOGS BY CULTURE, PCR, AND URINARY ANTIGEN METHODS

Legionellosis is a bacterial infection which is generated especially by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 and can be seen particularly in humans in animals. In this study, dogs with respiratory symptoms were examined for the precense of L . pneumophila serogrup 1, for the first time in Turkey. Blood, sera and urine samples were collected from 96 dogs with respiratory symptoms for bacteriological, PCR, and ELISA examinations, respectively. For culture, blood samples collected with pediatric lysis isolator tubes were inoculated to BCYE agar. Latex agglutination kit was used for the identification. The DNA extraction was made from serum samples by using QIAamp DNA Mini extraction kit then the samples were examined for the presence of Mip gene by PCR. The presence of bacterial antigen in urine samples were examined with an ELISA kit. As the results of culture, PCR and ELISA tests, all the samples were found to be negative. There are very limited studies on the occurrence of Legionellosis in animals. The number and type of the samples collected and seasonal factors might have played a role for the negative result obtained in this study. In conclusion, further studies relating this disease are needed especially for pet animals. For determining the disease status in our country each case with respiratory symptoms and indeterminate infectious agents should be examined for the presence of legionella species.