ANTIBODIES TO SPOTTED-FEVER GROUP RICKETTSIAE IN DOGS IN CROATIA

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to spotted fever group rickettsiae wa s studied by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay in a sample of 194 canine sera from different parts of Croatia. Dogs (n = 141) fr om urban and suburban-semiural environs from the middle part of the ea stern coast of Adriatic sea, and dogs (n = 53) from Zagreb, the capita l of Croatia located in the northern continental part of Croatia, were tested. The total of 88 (62.4%) dogs from southern coastal Croatia ha d antibodies to Rickettsia conorii, with a significantly higher preval ence (69.9%) in suburban-semirural areas. The prevalence rate of antib odies to Rickettsia conorii in canine sera from urban environment in t he north of Croatia was 20.7%. The results show that the members of sp otted fever group rickettsiae are present in both coastal and continen tal Croatia.