Seroprevalence and risk factors for Rickettsia felis exposure in dogs from Southeast Queensland and the Northern Territory, Australia

Table 1 Univariate analysis of risk factors and their association with R. felis seropositivity in dogs at antibody titres ≥64 and ≥128

Variable surveyed	No of sera available	Antibody titre ≥64			Antibody titre ≥128
Variable surveyed	No of sera available	No of seropositive dogs (%; 95% CI)	OR; 95% CI	P value	No of positive dogs (%)	OR; 95% CI	P value
Total sera in the study	292	148 (50.7%)	0.45 - 0.56		54 (18.5%)	0.14 - 0.23
Location				0.360			0.947
SE QLD dogs	185	90 (48.6%)	Reference		34 (18.4%)	Reference
NT dogs	107	58 (54.2%)	1.25; 0.78 – 2.01		20 (18.7%)	1.02; 0.55 – 1.88
Source				0.510			0.221
Client-owned	180	88 (48.9%)	Reference		29 (16.1%)	Reference
Pound	100	53 (53.0%; )	1.18; 0.72 – 1.87		22 (22%)	1.47; 0.79, 2.72
Status of active ectoparasite control				0.014			0.106
Active ectoparasite control	42	12 (28.6%)	Reference		4 (9.5%)	Reference
No active ectoparasite control	106	52 (49.1%)	2.60; 1.20 - 5.56		22 (20.8%)	2.49; 0.80, 7.69
Breed				0.265			0.286
Purebred	142	67 (47.2%)	Reference		23 (16.2%)	Reference
Mixed breed	147	79 (53.7%)	1.30; 0.76 - 2.51		31 (21.1%)	1.38; 0.76, 2.51
Age				0.298			0.128
Young (<1 year)	58	25 (43.1%)	Reference		7 (12.7%)	Reference
Adult (1 – 10 year)	192	101 (52.6%)	1.37; 0.76 – 2.46		41 (21.4%)	1.98; 0.84 – 4.69,	0.121
Geriatric (>10year)	37	18 (48.6)	1.17; 0.51 – 2.67		4 (10.8%)	0.88; 0.24 – 3.25	0.852
Gender				0.638			0.414
Male	143	70 (49.0%)	Reference		29 (20.3%)	1.28; 0.71, 2.33
Female	145	75 (51.7%)	1.12; 0.70 – 1.77		24 (16.6%)	Reference
Desexing status				0.032			0.062
Neutered	111	48	Reference		16 (14.4%)	Reference
Intact	111	64	1.79; 1.05 – 3.04		27 (24.3%)	1.91; 0.96 – 3.78

ISSN: 1756-3305