Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Tick-borne infections passed from pregnant dogs to puppies at birth
By Pereira, Mariana Rodrigues et al.·Published in Acta tropica·2026·Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Vertical transmission of tick-borne and hemotropic pathogens in pregnant dogs: first report involving Babesia vogeli and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of pregnant dogs was found to pass certain blood infections to their puppies before birth. Specifically, infections like Babesia vogeli and Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum were detected in stillborn puppies and newborns. This means that these pathogens can be transmitted from mother to puppy, which could be a concern for dog owners. Understanding this transmission is important for preventing these infections in future litters.
People also search for: dog pregnancy infections · puppy health issues · Babesia in dogs · Mycoplasma in puppies · stillborn puppies causes
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the vertical transmission of Babesia vogeli, Hepatozoon canis, Anaplasma platys, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and hemotropic Mycoplasma via molecular detection in 51 blood samples from naturally infected female dogs, 51 placentas, 22 organ pools from stillborn puppies, and 44 blood samples from neonates up to five days of age. As a result, vertical transmission was confirmed for A. platys in seven (31.81%) stillborn organ pool samples, and for hemoplasmas in one (14.28%) organ pool and 12 (63.15%) neonate samples. Furthermore, this study provides the first record of this transmission route for the protozoan B. vogeli in three (13.63%) stillborns and two (25%) neonates and for the hemoplasma Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum in one (14.28%) stillborn and 12 (63.15%) neonates. The data contribute to a better elucidation of the epidemiology of these agents in pregnant female dogs and emphasize the need for more in-depth investigations to clarify the detailed mechanisms surrounding the vertical transmission of hemopathogens, considering that this transmission route may play an important role in the maintenance and dissemination of these agents, especially in the absence of vectors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41720174/