Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How Ehrlichia canis and Babesia vogeli infections affect dogs
By Zhang, Jilei et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2023·Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Experimental infection and co-infection with Chinese strains of Ehrlichia canis and Babesia vogeli in intact and splenectomized dogs: Insights on clinical, hematologic and treatment responses.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Beagle dogs was experimentally infected with a strain of Ehrlichia canis, a tick-borne disease, and showed symptoms like high fever, loss of appetite, dehydration, and weight loss. The dogs were treated with either doxycycline or rifampicin, with doxycycline proving more effective as it eliminated the E. canis DNA from their systems. However, even after treatment, these dogs remained at risk for re-infection. When some dogs were also infected with Babesia vogeli, they experienced more severe symptoms, including higher fever and anemia. This study highlights the importance of effective treatment and the ongoing risk of tick-borne diseases in dogs.
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Abstract
Animal infection models are crucial for studying various aspects of Ehrlichia canis infections. To understand the pathogenesis of the first Chinese isolate of E. canis and simulate the natural progression of canine ehrlichiosis, we developed a model with 18 Beagle dogs that consisted of E. canis initial infection (days 0-17), treatment with doxycycline or rifampicin (days 18-32), recovery (days 33-66), E. canis reinfection (days 67-91), and Babesia vogeli superinfection (days 92-116). We measured body weight and rectal temperature every other day, drew blood every 4 days for routine hematology and biochemistry tests, and for quantification of E. canis and B. vogeli by quantitative PCRs. In this study, the first isolate of E. canis from China was used to experimentally infect dogs, and the infected dogs exhibited clinical signs of acute severe ehrlichiosis, including high fever, loss of appetite, dehydration, and body weight loss, confirming the similar pathogenicity of E. canis in China as compared to isolates from other regions. Infection with E. canis and B. vogeli led to reduced body weight and fever in dogs. Doxycycline treatment led to absence of E. canis DNA in infected dogs, while rifampicin treatment lowered the blood E. canis copy number up to 1.5 folds. E. canis-free infected dogs after doxycycline treatment were successfully re-infected with E. canis, indicating dogs with antibodies are still at risk of re-infection. Super-infection with B. vogeli resulted in higher fever, more severe anemia, and a reduced number of platelets. Splenectomized dogs showed significantly higher E. canis numbers during recovery and re-infection than intact dogs. The histological changes were observed in brain, lung, kidney, liver and spleen of the infected dogs. The findings in this study provide insights into clinical and hematologic responses, as well as effective treatment options, for dogs infected with the first Chinese isolate of E. canis, and may contribute to our understanding of the diagnosis and prevention of tick-borne diseases in dogs, including canine monocytic ehrlichiosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37783174/