Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diagnosis of rickettsial diseases in dogs and cats.
- Journal:
- Veterinary clinical pathology
- Year:
- 2013
- Authors:
- Allison, Robin W & Little, Susan E
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology · United States
Plain-English summary
Rickettsial diseases are caused by tiny germs that can be spread to dogs and cats through bites from infected ticks or fleas. These germs can cause a range of health issues, from mild symptoms to severe, life-threatening conditions. Diagnosing these infections can be tricky because the germs can be present in low amounts, and pets might have other infections at the same time. To get an accurate diagnosis, veterinarians often need to use several different testing methods, including looking at blood samples under a microscope and running various blood tests. This review discusses the best ways to diagnose these infections in pets.
Abstract
Rickettsial agents, including those in the genera Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neorickettsia, and Rickettsia, are important and common vector-borne pathogens of dogs and cats. Disease induced by these organisms ranges from clinically inapparent to severe and potentially fatal. However, laboratory confirmation of a rickettsial etiology can be complicated by a number of factors, including the wide spectrum of disease induced by these organisms, an often low and widely fluctuating level of organism present in infected animals, cross-reactions on serologic and molecular assays, and the presence of co-infections. Correct diagnosis is most likely to be reached when multiple diagnostic strategies, including careful microscopic examination of stained blood films or tissues, both specific and broad serologic tests, and a suite of molecular detection assays, are used in concert. Accurate interpretation of diagnostic tests requires awareness of the likelihood for multiple agents, including novel organisms, to be responsible for the results seen in a given patient. This review provides an overview of current strategies used to diagnose rickettsial infections in dogs and cats.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23647393/