Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common is Ehrlichia co-infection in dogs with Babesia in South
By Yolandi Rautenbach et al.·Published in Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research·2018·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, University of Pretoria, ZA·View original on DOAJ →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Prevalence of canine Babesia and Ehrlichia co-infection and the predictive value of haematology
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 205 dogs diagnosed with babesiosis, a tick-borne infection, were evaluated for co-infection with another tick-borne disease called ehrlichiosis. The study found that only 2% of the dogs had both infections at the same time. Additionally, normal blood cell counts were very reliable in ruling out ehrlichiosis, meaning that if a dog had normal levels of white or red blood cells, it likely did not have the co-infection. This information can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat dogs with babesiosis without mistakenly assuming they have ehrlichiosis.
People also search for: dog tick-borne disease symptoms · babesiosis treatment in dogs · ehrlichiosis co-infection in dogs
Abstract
Canine babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are important tick-borne infections in South Africa. Many South African general veterinary practitioners perceive co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. as a common occurrence in dogs with babesiosis. Studies about the prevalence of co-infection in South African dogs are lacking. This retrospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of Ehrlichia co-infection in dogs with babesiosis. Additionally, the predicative value of specific haematological variables for co-infection was evaluated. The study population consisted of 205 dogs diagnosed with canine babesiosis presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH) in 2006 and between 2011 and 2013. The Babesia-infected dogs were grouped based on presence or absence of an Ehrlichia spp. co-infection. Ehrlichia spp. co-infection was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction. Positive and negative predictive values (PPVs and NPVs) of leukopenia or thrombocytopenia for co-infection were also calculated. The prevalence of Babesiaspp. and Ehrlichia spp. co-infection in this cohort of dogs was 2%. In the babesiosis dogs, the PPV of leukopenia for co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. was 1.3%, and the NPV 97.4%. Similarly, the PPV and NPVs of thrombocytopenia for co-infection were 2.1% and 100%, respectively. Co-infection with Ehrlichia spp. was a rare occurrence in dogs with babesiosis presented to the OVAH. Normal leukocyte or platelet counts confidently ruled out the presence of concurrent ehrlichiosis in this cohort of dogs. However, the diagnosis of Ehrlichia co-infection based on the presence of thrombocytopenia or leukopenia would have been associated with false positive results in more than 97.4% of cases.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v85i1.1626