Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
First case of infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia in dogs in Taiwan
By Chang, A C et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·1996·Institute of Biological Chemistry·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia found in Taiwan.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A military working dog in Taiwan was diagnosed with canine infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia (CICT), which caused low platelet levels and specific inclusions in its blood. To confirm the cause, blood from this dog was given to three other German Shepherds, who showed similar symptoms within a week. The tests indicated that the infection was due to a type of bacteria called Ehrlichia platys, which is spread by ticks. This case highlights the high prevalence of CICT in dogs from tick-infested areas, with nearly all dogs in one kennel affected.
People also search for: dog low platelet count symptoms · German Shepherd tick disease · canine infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia treatment
Abstract
Here were report the first canine infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia (CICT) found in Taiwan. Platelet-specific inclusions were detected in the blood smear of a military working dog. To identify the etiologic agent, the patient's blood was transmitted to three six-month-old German Shepherd dogs. The Ehrlichia platys-like inclusions were observed six to eight days after inoculation. Indirect fluorescent antibody test showed that the serum from the patient reacted specifically with the microorganisms within the platelets. Typical hematologic manifestations of E. platys infection, cyclic parasitemia and concomitant thrombocytopenia, were observed in these dogs. The prevalence of CICT in north Taiwan was also studied, and the incidence was 8.9% (4 out of 45) in civilian dogs and 97.1% (34 out of 35) in dogs from a heavily tick infested kennel.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8741613/