Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Babesia vulpes infection and symptoms in North American dogs
By Barash, Nanelle R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence of Babesia spp. and clinical characteristics of Babesia vulpes infections in North American dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of North American dogs was tested for a blood infection called Babesia vulpes, which can cause serious health issues like anemia and low platelet counts. Out of nearly 9,400 dogs tested, 19 were found to have this specific infection, with most being American Pit Bull Terriers, many of whom had a history of dog fighting. These infected dogs often had other infections as well, which complicated their health. Symptoms included anemia and low blood protein levels. Treatment typically involves addressing both the Babesia infection and any coexisting infections to improve the dog's overall health.
People also search for: dog Babesia infection symptoms · American Pit Bull Terrier anemia treatment · dog blood infection treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Babesiosis is an important cause of thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia in dogs. Babesia vulpes, reported in European dogs and North American foxes, rarely has been reported in domestic North American dogs. Newly optimized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers facilitate more sensitive amplification of B. vulpes DNA. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of Babesia sp. infections in dogs being tested for Babesia infection, and to describe co-infections and clinicopathologic abnormalities in B. vulpes positive dogs. ANIMALS: Dog blood or tissue samples (n = 9367) submitted to a diagnostic laboratory between June 2015 and June 2018 were tested using an optimized Babesia PCR assay. METHODS: Comprehensive canine vector-borne disease diagnostic testing was performed on convenience samples. RESULTS: Babesia sp. DNA was amplified from 269/9367 (2.9%) North American dogs. Babesia sp. infections included B. gibsoni monoinfection (157; 1.7%), B. vulpes monoinfection (19; 0.20%), and B. gibsoni and B. vulpes coinfection (29; 0.31%). Forty-three of the 48 total B. vulpes-infected dogs were American Pit Bull Terrier-type breeds, of which 36 historically were involved with dog fights. Coinfections with Mycoplasma, Dirofilaria immitis, or Wolbachia and coexposures to Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. were documented in B. vulpes-infected dogs. Clinicopathologic data in B. vulpes-infected dogs both with and without coinfections included anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and proteinuria. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Babesia vulpes infection in domestic North American dogs is commonly found in conjunction with other coinfections, including B. gibsoni and hemotropic Mycoplasma. Similar to B. gibsoni, dog-to-dog transmission of B. vulpes may be a frequent mode of transmission.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31334887/