Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick-borne infections in dogs on St. Kitts, West Indies
By Kelly, Patrick J et al.·Published in PloS one·2013·Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis and hepatozoonosis in dogs from St. Kitts, West Indies.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in St. Kitts was tested for tick-borne diseases like Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Hepatozoonosis. While many dogs showed signs of infection, most were healthy and did not display any symptoms. Only a small percentage had noticeable health issues or lab abnormalities. Dogs treated for Ehrlichiosis with doxycycline appeared healthy during follow-ups, although some still tested positive for the infection. This suggests that while tick-borne diseases are common in this region, many dogs may not show any signs of illness.
People also search for: dog tick-borne disease symptoms · Ehrlichiosis treatment in dogs · Babesia infection in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although tick-borne diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in dogs in tropical areas, there is little information on the agents causing these infections in the Caribbean. METHODOLOGY: We used PCRs to test blood from a cross-section of dogs on St Kitts for Ehrlichia (E.) canis, Babesia (B.) spp., Anaplasma (A.) spp. and Hepatozoon (H.) spp. Antibodies against E. canis and A. phagocytophilum/platys were detected using commercial immunochromatography tests. Records of the dogs were examined retrospectively to obtain clinical and laboratory data. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: There was serological and/or PCR evidence of infections of dogs with E. canis (27%; 46/170), Babesia spp. (24%; 90/372) including B. canis vogeli (12%; 43/372) and B. gibsoni (10%; 36/372), A. platys (11%; 17/157) and H. canis (6%; 15/266). We could not identify the Babesia sp. detected in nine dogs. There was evidence of multiple infections with dual infections with E. canis and B. canis vogeli (8%; 14/179) or B. gibsoni (7%; 11/170) being the most common. There was agreement between immunochromatography and PCR test results for E. canis for 87% of dogs. Only 13% of exposed dogs had signs of a tick-borne disease and 38% had laboratory abnormalities. All 10 dogs presenting for a recheck after treatment of E. canis with doxycycline were apparently healthy although all remained seropositive and six still had laboratory abnormalities despite an average of two treatments with the most recent being around 12 months previously. Infections with Babesia spp. were also mainly subclinical with only 6% (4/67) showing clinical signs and 13% (9/67) having laboratory abnormalities. Similarly, animals with evidence of infections with A. platys and H. canis were largely apparently healthy with only occasional laboratory abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Dogs are commonly infected with tick-borne pathogens in the Caribbean with most having no clinical signs or laboratory abnormalities.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23335965/