Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Testing dog spinal fluid antibodies to diagnose tick-borne
By Alnefelt, Yvonne et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2021·Anicura Albano Small Animal Hospital·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Evaluation of antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with neurological symptoms, such as seizures or difficulty walking, were tested for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a serious infection that can affect the brain. Out of 89 dogs, only three showed positive results for TBE antibodies in their cerebrospinal fluid, which suggests that while TBE can cause these symptoms, it is not very common. The study found that a positive test for TBE antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid can help confirm a diagnosis in dogs with sudden neurological issues, potentially preventing misdiagnosis.
People also search for: dog seizures tick-borne encephalitis · dog neurological symptoms diagnosis · tick-borne disease in dogs
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by the neurotropic tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). In dogs, this virus may affect the central nervous system (CNS), causing meningoencephalitis, meningomyelitis, radiculitis or any combination of these. Diagnosis of TBE relies on a combination of clinical signs of CNS disease and laboratory findings, including CSF pleocytosis and serum TBEV antibody titers. Exposure to TBEV does not necessarily cause clinical disease, and seroprevalence has been reported as high as 40% in endemic areas. This causes concerns of over-diagnosing TBE in dogs with CNS disease. By examining TBEV antibodies in dogs with and without neurological disease in a TBEV endemic area, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of TBEV antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in dogs. Eighty-nine dogs were included in the study, 56 with neurological disease and 33 neurologically normal control dogs. A positive TBEV CSF and serum IgG antibody titer (> 126 U/mL) was found in 3/89 dogs (3.4%). A positive serum TBEV antibody titer was found in 11 of the 89 dogs (12.4%). None of the control dogs showed a positive CSF antibody titer, whilst two showed positive serum concentrations. A positive CSF IgG antibody titer supports a clinical diagnosis of TBE in patients with acute onset of CNS disease and may help reduce the risk of over-diagnosis.
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34446031/