Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of inflammation in symptom-free dogs infected with Babesia canis
By Milanović, Zorana et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2020·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evidence of acute phase reaction in asymptomatic dogs naturally infected with Babesia canis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of outdoor dogs that tested positive for Babesia canis, a parasite that can cause disease, showed signs of a mild inflammatory response even though they didn't appear sick. Tests revealed higher levels of certain proteins and changes in blood cell counts compared to dogs that were not infected. Some of these infected dogs had mild anemia and lower activity of a specific enzyme. This suggests that even asymptomatic dogs can carry the parasite and exhibit subtle health changes. Regular check-ups and blood tests can help monitor these dogs for any potential issues.
People also search for: dog Babesia canis symptoms · asymptomatic dog infection · dog blood test results · outdoor dog health check · Babesia treatment for dogs
Abstract
Asymptomatic outdoor dogs can be carriers of Babesia canis, but data describing the development of an acute phase response (APR) are not available. We hypothesised that these dogs have a moderate APR that could be detected by hematological and biochemical changes. Two groups of Babesia-exposed dogs were represented by nine B. canis PCR-positive and twenty B. canis PCR-negative, seroreactive dogs. The control group consisted of ten Babesia-naïve dogs. Serum amyloid A (SAA), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), complete blood count, and biochemistry parameters were analysed by standard methodologies. Protein and lipoprotein fractions were separated using agarose gel electrophoresis (GE), and the dominant diameters of lipoproteins were assessed on gradient GE. Results were evaluated using non-parametric tests and the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. SAA (median 39.0 μg/mL, range 2.2-48.8 μg/mL), total protein (median 74.7 g/L, range 57.1-98.3 g/L) and the dominant diameter of α-lipoproteins (median 13.31 nm, range 12.09-14.17 nm) in B. canis PCR-positive dogs were higher relative to dogs in the control group or dogs that were PCR-negative but seroreactive (p < 0.001 for both groups). Mild to moderate anemia (4/29), thrombocytopenia (7/29), and leukocyte counts that were close to the upper limit of the reference range were encountered in both Babesia-exposed groups. When compared to controls, Babesia-exposed dogs displayed decreased a PON-1 activity and protein GE pattern consistent with low-grade chronic inflammation (p < 0.001 for both groups). Dogs with detectable amounts of B. canis DNA in blood contain increased levels of SAA and total protein along with α-lipoproteins that display an increased diameter relative to those dogs with positive Babesia serology but undetectable levels of B. canis DNA in blood.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32473353/