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Article

Household Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Ehrlichia spp. Infection in Dogs from Homes with Human Rickettsiosis Exposure in Northwestern Mexico

by
José Mario Atondo-Pacheco
1,
Rosalino Flores-Rocha
2,
María de J. López-López
1,
Idalia Enríquez-Verdugo
1,
Daniel Eduardo Zatarain
1,
Jesús Daniel Solis-Carrasco
1,
Nohelia Castro-del Campo
3,
Sandra Berenice Medina-Rodríguez
1,
Soila Maribel Gaxiola-Camacho
1,* and
Nohemí Castro-del Campo
1,*
1
Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80246, Sinaloa, Mexico
2
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80019, Sinaloa, Mexico
3
Laboratorio Nacional para la Investigación en Inocuidad Alimentaria, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Culiacán 80110, Sinaloa, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Pathogens 2026, 15(7), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070694
Submission received: 18 May 2026 / Revised: 25 June 2026 / Accepted: 26 June 2026 / Published: 30 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Pathogens)
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Abstract

Zoonotic diseases represent an increasing public health concern worldwide, particularly in endemic regions of northwestern Mexico. This study aimed to evaluate household-level environmental and behavioral risk factors associated with Ehrlichia spp. infection in dogs living in areas with documented human rickettsiosis cases in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 105 canine blood samples collected from urban and rural areas, with previous human rickettsiosis cases reported between 2021 and 2023. Microscopic examination and PCR amplification targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Ehrlichia spp. were performed. Morphological detection revealed a prevalence of 33.33%, while molecular analysis showed a prevalence of 43.83%. Risk factors significantly associated with infection included household waste, soil-type environments, free-roaming behavior identified through epidemiological analysis, and limited knowledge of tick-borne diseases among dog owners. These findings provide evidence of Ehrlichia spp. infection in dogs from areas with documented human rickettsiosis cases and highlight the value of dogs as indicators of household-level exposure to tick-borne pathogens in endemic communities.
Keywords: Ehrlichia spp.; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; tick-borne diseases; household risk factors; One Health Ehrlichia spp.; Rhipicephalus sanguineus; tick-borne diseases; household risk factors; One Health

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MDPI and ACS Style

Atondo-Pacheco, J.M.; Flores-Rocha, R.; López-López, M.d.J.; Enríquez-Verdugo, I.; Zatarain, D.E.; Solis-Carrasco, J.D.; Castro-del Campo, N.; Medina-Rodríguez, S.B.; Gaxiola-Camacho, S.M.; Castro-del Campo, N. Household Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Ehrlichia spp. Infection in Dogs from Homes with Human Rickettsiosis Exposure in Northwestern Mexico. Pathogens 2026, 15, 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070694

AMA Style

Atondo-Pacheco JM, Flores-Rocha R, López-López MdJ, Enríquez-Verdugo I, Zatarain DE, Solis-Carrasco JD, Castro-del Campo N, Medina-Rodríguez SB, Gaxiola-Camacho SM, Castro-del Campo N. Household Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Ehrlichia spp. Infection in Dogs from Homes with Human Rickettsiosis Exposure in Northwestern Mexico. Pathogens. 2026; 15(7):694. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070694

Chicago/Turabian Style

Atondo-Pacheco, José Mario, Rosalino Flores-Rocha, María de J. López-López, Idalia Enríquez-Verdugo, Daniel Eduardo Zatarain, Jesús Daniel Solis-Carrasco, Nohelia Castro-del Campo, Sandra Berenice Medina-Rodríguez, Soila Maribel Gaxiola-Camacho, and Nohemí Castro-del Campo. 2026. "Household Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Ehrlichia spp. Infection in Dogs from Homes with Human Rickettsiosis Exposure in Northwestern Mexico" Pathogens 15, no. 7: 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070694

APA Style

Atondo-Pacheco, J. M., Flores-Rocha, R., López-López, M. d. J., Enríquez-Verdugo, I., Zatarain, D. E., Solis-Carrasco, J. D., Castro-del Campo, N., Medina-Rodríguez, S. B., Gaxiola-Camacho, S. M., & Castro-del Campo, N. (2026). Household Environmental Risk Factors Associated with Ehrlichia spp. Infection in Dogs from Homes with Human Rickettsiosis Exposure in Northwestern Mexico. Pathogens, 15(7), 694. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070694

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