Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia infection found in outdoor dogs in northern and southern
By Gabrielli, Simona et al.·Published in Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.)·2015·1 Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Canine Babesioses in Noninvestigated Areas of Serbia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study of outdoor dogs in Serbia found that about 21.5% were infected with Babesia, a parasite spread by ticks that can cause serious illness. The most common type found was Babesia sp. 'spanish dog', along with several others. Dogs in the Prokuplje area had a much higher infection rate compared to those in other regions. The research highlighted the importance of using tick prevention methods, as dogs that were treated with tick prevention were less likely to be infected. This information can help pet owners understand the risks of tick-borne diseases and the need for preventive measures.
People also search for: dog tick disease symptoms · Babesia in dogs treatment · how to prevent ticks on dogs
Abstract
During the years 2012-2014, a total of 158 outdoor dogs from Pančevo and Đurđevo (northern Serbia) and Niš and Prokuplje (southern Serbia) were submitted to molecular analyses (PCR and sequencing) for canine babesioses. An overall prevalence of 21.5% was found, due to the species Babesia sp. 'spanish dog' (10.1%), B. gibsoni (5.7%), B. canis vogeli (1.9%), B. caballi (1.9%), and B. microti (1.9%). In addition, sequence analysis showed the presence of Hepatozoon canis in a dog from Niš. No significant difference between infected and noninfected dogs was found by age, sex, and place of residence, whereas there was difference regarding the presence of ticks (p<0.005) and application of preventive measures such as applying of antitick drugs/devices. Moreover, a significant difference was established by area: Dogs from Prokuplje showed infection rates (59.1%) higher than dogs from Pančevo (11.9%), Niš (4.5), and Đurđevo (where infected dogs were not found), and a different geographical distribution of the species was found. The presence of so many Babesia species and the first identification of H. canis will allow investigations on the pathogenic role played by each one and suggests entomological studies on the tick species that are more suitable vectors for each of them. Finally, the presence of so many infected dogs offers the opportunity of evaluating the hypothesis of a possible zoonotic role of babesial species affecting dogs.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26348245/