Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia canis and other tick diseases found in dogs from Tirana
By Hamel, Dietmar et al.·Published in Wiener klinische Wochenschrift·2009·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Babesia canis subspecies and other arthropod-borne diseases in dogs from Tirana, Albania.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 30 healthy dogs from Tirana, Albania, were tested for various tick-borne diseases, including Babesia canis, which can cause serious health issues. The tests revealed that 20 of the dogs (67%) had antibodies against these diseases, with 19 dogs showing signs of exposure to Babesia canis and other pathogens. However, there were no signs of Leishmania, Bartonella, or Rickettsia infections in any of the dogs. This study highlights the presence of tick-borne diseases in this region, which is important for dog owners to be aware of, especially if they travel with their pets.
People also search for: dog tick-borne diseases Albania · Babesia canis symptoms in dogs · how to prevent ticks on dogs
Abstract
Summary. The importance of arthropod-borne diseases increased in the recent past in particular due to frequent travel with dogs in or by importing of dogs from regions with endemic occurrence of these diseases. While the epidemiological situation is well known for the western parts of the Mediterranean, only limited data is available for Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Thirty clinically healthy dogs from suburban areas of Tirana, Albania, were tested for Babesia canis, Hepatozoon spp., Leishmania spp., Dirofilaria spp., Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. using direct and indirect methods. Antibodies against and/or pathogens of arthropod-borne diseases were detected in the blood of 20 (67%) dogs. Nineteen dogs (63%) had antibodies against B. canis, E. canis and/or A. phagocytophilum. Babesia c. canis, Babesia c. vogeli, Hepatozoon spp., D. immitis and/or E. canis were identified by blood smear, PCR or ELISA in 13 (43%) dogs. There was no evidence for Leishmania spp., Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. infections.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19915816/