Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia infection risk in Taiwanese dogs without tick prevention
By Yang, Wen-Yuan et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2022·Department of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A molecular and serological survey in Taiwan to determine the true risk of babesiosis in dogs not receiving regular tick prevention.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 265 dogs in Taiwan that weren't receiving regular tick prevention were tested for a tick-borne disease called babesiosis. About 10.6% of these dogs were found to be infected with the Babesia parasite, which can cause serious health issues. The study identified several risk factors for infection, including having a short-haired coat, being intact (not spayed or neutered), living in multi-dog households, and having abnormal blood test results. If your dog shows unusual blood test results and has any of these risk factors, it's important to discuss babesiosis testing with your veterinarian.
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Abstract
Canine babesiosis is an important tick-borne disease worldwide. The prevalence varies between regions and countries; however, the incidence of tick infection is associated with the status of preventive tick control measures by the owner. To date, no studies have investigated the incidence of canine babesiosis and the condition of tick prevention in Taiwan. Therefore, the true risk of babesiosis could be underestimated in dogs that are not receiving tick prophylaxis. Samples were collected at 51 hospitals around Taiwan from 265 dogs not receiving regular tick prophylaxis. Diagnostic real-time PCR was performed, and 28 dogs (10.6%) were positive for Babesia spp., including B. gibsoni (26/28) and B. vogeli (2/28). Thirty-nine dogs (14.7%) were seropositive to B. gibsoni. Take the real-time PCR positive as the Babesia infected case, the positive and negative predictive value of serological assay were 64.1% and 98.7%, respectively. The seropositivity of B. gibsoni was significantly associated with real-time PCR positivity for Babesia spp. and vice versa (p < 0.001). The odds of seropositive representing real-time PCR positivity was 132.7 times greater than the seronegative (OR: 132.731, 95% CI 35.683-493.728). Risk factors in the population identified included: dogs with a short-haired coat; intact dogs; dogs from multi-dog households; dogs with more than 10 ticks and fleas on the skin; dogs that go outdoors more than 9 times per week; and dogs with an abnormal blood test result that included anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia. However, the dogs were not tested for other co-infections, therefore, these hematological risk factors should be carefully interpreted and confirmed by further diagnostic tests. In conclusion, when dogs present with abnormal blood test results and share the risk factors listed above, babesiosis should be seriously considered and followed up with molecular and serological testing. The serological assay used in this study can provide valuable information in diagnosing babesiosis in dogs in Taiwan.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35012727/