Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How leptospirosis infection and vaccination affect dog blood tests
By Andre-Fontaine, G·Published in The Veterinary record·2013·Infectious Diseases Department, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis algorithm for leptospirosis in dogs: disease and vaccination effects on the serological results.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs was tested for leptospirosis, a serious infection that can occur even in vaccinated pets. Researchers used a blood test called the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) to check for antibodies against the bacteria. Out of 102 vaccinated dogs, 37 tested positive for the disease, showing that the current vaccines may not fully protect against leptospirosis. The study also created a diagnosis algorithm to help vets determine the likelihood of leptospirosis based on vaccination history and symptoms. This highlights the importance of monitoring dogs for signs of this infection, even if they have been vaccinated.
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Abstract
Leptospirosis is a common disease in dogs, despite their current vaccination. Vet surgeons may use a serological test to verify their clinical observations. The gold standard is the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). After infection, the dog produces agglutinating antibodies against the lipopolyosidic antigens shared by the infectious strain but also, after vaccination, against the lipopolyosidic antigens shared by the serovars used in the bacterins (Leptospira species serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae and Canicola in most countries). MATs were performed in a group of 102 healthy field dogs and a group of 6 Canicola-challenged dogs. A diagnosis algorithm was constructed based on age, previous vaccinations, kinetics of the agglutinating antibodies after infection or vaccination and the delay after onset of the disease. This algorithm was applied to 169 well-documented sera (clinical and vaccine data) from 272 sick dogs with suspected leptospirosis. Totally, 102 dogs were vaccinated according to the usual vaccination scheme and 30 were not vaccinated. Leptospirosis was confirmed by MAT in 37/102 (36.2 per cent) vaccinated dogs and remained probable in 14 others (13.7 per cent), thus indicating the permanent exposure of dogs and the weakness of the protection offered by the current vaccines to pathogenic Leptospira.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23525483/