Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine ehrlichiosis signs and best tests for diagnosis
By A. C. H. Nakaghi et al.·2008·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Canine ehrlichiosis: clinical, hematological, serological and molecular aspects
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 30 dogs with symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, pale gums, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and bleeding were tested for a tick-borne infection called canine ehrlichiosis. The tests included blood smears, serological tests, and a specialized DNA test. The results showed that serological tests were effective for diagnosing chronic cases, while the DNA test was better for identifying the infection in its early stages. Treatment typically involves antibiotics, and early diagnosis is crucial for a better recovery.
People also search for: dog lethargy and loss of appetite · canine ehrlichiosis treatment · pale gums in dogs · tick-borne disease in dogs
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to compare the direct detection methods of Ehrlichia canis (blood smears and nested PCR), serological tests (Dot-ELISA and Immunofluorescent Antibody Test - IFAT), and demonstrate the most suitable test for the diagnosis of different stages of infection. Blood samples and clinical data were collected from 30 dogs examined at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. The clinical signs most frequently observed were apathy, anorexia, pale mucous membrane, fever, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hemorrhages and uveitis. Evaluating the humoral immune response, 63.3% of the sera were IFAT positive, while 70% were Dot-ELISA positive. By nestedPCR 53.3% of the samples were positive. Comparing these techniques it was concluded that serology and nPCR are the most suitable tests to confirm the diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis, however it should be always treated as a complementary data to clinical and hematological evaluation. Serology has an important role in the subclinical and in the chronic phase, nPCR is recommended in the acute stage, and, especially, to identify the ehrlichia specie.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7bf064fb44b4750a740666aef833c1f81d33c7b5