Molecular screening of 100 outdoor-living owned and stray dogs from four Afghan provinces found 81% positive for at least one vector-borne pathogen, led by Hepatozoon canis (68%) and Bartonella vinsonii berkhoffii (18%). The study fills a major One Health evidence gap but is not a national prevalence estimate.
Key findings
- At least one pathogen was detected in 81%: H. canis 68%, B. vinsonii berkhoffii 18%, B. vogeli 4%, Acanthocheilonema sp. 4%, L. infantum 2% and B. negevi 1%. Co-infections occurred in 12%, and H. canis and Bartonella appeared in all four provinces.
Why this matters globally
Climate, animal mobility and vector-control gaps make these infections transboundary. Afghan data add a missing component to surveillance across Western and South-Central Asia.
Thai researcher contribution
A researcher affiliated with Chulalongkorn University contributed to the international vector-borne disease network; all sampled animals and findings were from Afghanistan, not Thailand.
Limitations to consider
Only 100 dogs from four provinces were studied, with outdoor-living selection likely enriching exposure. DNA detection does not establish illness, transmissibility or human risk, and findings cannot estimate prevalence for Afghanistan or Thailand.