Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood and chemistry changes in hunting dogs with Acanthocheilonema
By Pacifico, Laura et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2021·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Haematological and biochemical abnormalities in hunting dogs infected with Acanthocheilonema reconditum, associated risk factors, and a European overview.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of hunting dogs in southern Italy showed signs of infection with a parasite called Acanthocheilonema reconditum, which is spread by fleas, lice, and ticks. Out of 3,020 dogs tested, 84 were found to be infected, but most appeared healthy with only mild, non-specific symptoms. Some dogs had changes in their blood, such as increased white blood cells and proteins, but these were not severe. The study identified risk factors for infection, including living in certain areas and hunting wild animals. Overall, the infection seemed to have low impact on the dogs' health.
People also search for: dog parasite symptoms · hunting dog health issues · Acanthocheilonema reconditum treatment · dog blood test results · flea prevention for dogs
Abstract
Acanthocheilonema reconditum is a filarial parasite transmitted by arthropods (fleas, lice, and ticks) that infect dogs. There is minimal published data available to date on potential haematological and biochemical changes associated with this parasitic infection. Study aims were (i) provide an overview of A. reconditum in Europe, (ii) define A. reconditum prevalence and risk factors in a specific dog population (hunting) from southern Italy, and (iii) assess the frequency of haemato-biochemical abnormalities associated with infection. Blood samples collected from 3020 dogs were tested by a modified Knott's technique to count and identify microfilariae. Eighty-four dogs were infected by A. reconditum (2.78%; 95% CI 2.19-3.37%). Microfilariae ranged from 1 to 212/ml. Based on clinical examination, all but six dogs with non-specific symptoms were healthy. Haematological abnormalities included leucocytosis (n = 15), with eosinophilia (n = 14) and monocytosis (n = 13). Serum biochemical abnormalities included increased total serum proteins (n = 19), albumins (n = 7), total globulins (n = 14), ALT (n = 1), and ALP (n = 1); one dog was hypoalbuminemic, and BUN was mildly increased in 2 dogs. Risk factors included the province origin (Napoli, OR=5.4, 95%CI: 2.1-14.0; Caserta, OR=5.1, 95%CI: 2.5-10.6), hunting wild mammals (OR=2.8, 95% 95%CI: 1.6-4.8), and ectoparasite infestation (OR=1.9, 95%CI: 1.1-3.1). There was a negative correlation between microfilaraemic load and decreased albumin level (-0.37; p=0.021). Our results showed that A. reconditum circulates within the hunting dog population of southern Italy, with seemingly low pathogenic potential.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33963428/