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Ehrlichia canis is an intracellular parasitic bacterium and arthropod-borne pathogen that receives growing attention, because it leads to increasing morbidity and mortality in animals. It does so by causing canine monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (CME). Infected canines may lack obvious clinical signs and stay in chronic stage. Herein we report a rapid screening method based on PCR assay combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to design a DNA sensor for detecting E. canis in early stages of infection. The test relies on DNA amplification of target nucleotide sequences via PCR followed by detecting DNA-DNA hybridization using QCM. The approach did not result in any cross-hybridization toward other blood bacteria or parasites in dogs, such as Anaplasma platys, Babesia canis and Trypanosoma spp, but turned out selective for the target species. The limit of detection of QCM was as low as 4.1 × 109 molecules/μl of 289 bp E. canis PCR products corresponding to 22 copy numbers/μl of E. canis. Furthermore, the technique is also simple, does not require complicated equipment and can in principle be reused.
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•A rapid screening method based on PCR assay combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) for detecting E. canis.•Detection via DNA-DNA hybridization using QCM in situ.•The technique is simple, does not require complicated equipment and can be reused.•Immobilizing specific capture probes on the surfaces of QCM is suitable for rapidly detecting DNA of E. canis.•QCM-based DNA sensors turned out sensitive and highly selective against other canine blood parasites or pathogens.