Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vector borne infections found in anemic dogs in southern Brazil
By Mongruel, Anna Cláudia Baumel et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2018·Laborató·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection of vector borne pathogens in anemic and thrombocytopenic dogs in southern Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in southern Brazil with anemia (low red blood cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets) were tested for certain blood-borne infections. Out of 75 dogs, one tested positive for Hepatozoon and six for piroplasmids, which are parasites that can cause serious health issues. No dogs were found to have Ehrlichia, another type of infection. The findings suggest that veterinarians should be aware of the potential risks from these parasites, especially since one type (Rangellia vitalii) is more harmful than the other.
People also search for: dog anemia causes · dog low platelets treatment · symptoms of Hepatozoon in dogs
Abstract
Arthropod-borne pathogens are medically important because of their ability to cause diseases in their hosts. The purpose of this study was to detect the occurrence of Ehrlichia spp., piroplasmids and Hepatozoon spp. in dogs with anemia and thrombocytopenia in southern Brazil. EDTA-whole blood was collected from 75 domestic dogs presenting anemia or/and thrombocytopenia from Guarapuava, state of Paraná, Brazil. DNA samples were subjected to conventional PCR assays for Ehrlichia spp. (dsb), piroplasmids (18S rRNA) and Hepatozoon spp. (18S rRNA), followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Among the 75 dogs, one (1.33%) was positive for Hepatozoon sp. and six (8%) were positive for piroplasmids in 18S rRNA cPCR assays. None of the dogs showed positive results in Ehrlichia spp.-cPCR targeting dsb gene. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that three piroplasm sequences were clustered with Rangellia vitalii, while one sequence was grouped with B. vogeli. The only sequence obtained from Hepatozoon spp.-PCR protocol was pooled with H. canis. Therefore, there is urgent need for differential molecular diagnosis of the two piroplasm species cited as etiological agents in clinical cases of canine hemoparasitic diseases, given the higher pathogenic potential of R. vitalii than of B. vogeli.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30462822/