Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in Poland with fatal brain infection from Babesia canis strain
By Adaszek, L et al.·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·2012·Department of Epizootiology and Infectious Diseases·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A presumptive case of cerebral babesiosis in a dog in Poland caused by a virulent Babesia canis strain.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier in Poland showed serious neurological symptoms and low blood cell counts, which led to a diagnosis of cerebral babesiosis caused by a virulent strain of the Babesia canis parasite. Despite treatment efforts, the dog sadly passed away. The diagnosis was confirmed through blood tests and a post-mortem examination of the brain. This case highlights the importance of considering cerebral babesiosis in dogs with neurological signs, especially during tick season when the disease is more common.
People also search for: dog neurological symptoms · American Staffordshire Terrier babesiosis · dog tick disease treatment
Abstract
The aim of this paper was to present the first case of cerebral canine babesiosis due to infection by Babesia canis in a dog in Poland. A 5-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier was presented with an unusual clinical manifestation of acute babesiosis that included neurological signs and pancytopenia. Despite treatment the dog died. Diagnosis was based on microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears (detection of piroplasms in red blood cells) and post mortem examination of the brain by histopathology and PCR method. The amplified segment of the Babesia 18S RNA gene was sequenced. This enabled to determine that the cause of the disease had been the strain 18S RNA-B EU622793. This is one of two B. canis strains found endemically in Poland, which reveals a greater virulence than the strain 18S RNA-A EU622792. The described case indicates that this form of canine babesiosis should be taken into account in differential diagnosis in dogs exhibiting neurological symptoms, especially in the tick activity season.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23076021/