TITLE:
Understanding Ehrlichia canis Infections in Dogs of Costa Rica: Hematological Findings and Indicative Clinical Signs
AUTHORS:
Alexander V. Barrantes-González, Ana E. Jiménez-Rocha, Juan José Romero-Zuñiga, Gaby Dolz
KEYWORDS:
Ehrlichiosis, Epidemiology, Hematopathology, Infectious Disease, Clinical Pathology
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.6 No.11,
November
30,
2016
ABSTRACT: Background: A cross-sectional study
combining different serological and molecular techniques for the detection of Ehrlichia canis in dogs was carried out to
determine hemopathological findings and suggestive clinical signs associated
with acute, subclinical and chronic infections in the dog population of Costa
Rica. Objectives: The
present study describes and analyzes, in a more representative sampling frame,
the clinical and hematological presentation of E. canis infection in dogs of Costa Rica in all its clinical
stages. Methods: A
descriptive analysis of the clinical signs was performed from a 441-dog sample.
Serological and molecular techniques for the detection of Ehrlichia canis in dogs
were applied. One and two-way ANOVA were carried out to determine the effect of
the infection status on the hematological parameters. Results: A total of 0.7% (3/407)
dogs were found with acute (seronegative but PCR positive), 29.7% (121/407)
with subclinical (seropositive and PCR negative), and 2.5% (10/407) with
chronic (seropositive
and PCR positive) E. canis infections. Significant hemopathological findings were determined in dogs with acute (thrombocytosis), subclinical and chronic (anemia,
thrombocytopenia, leukopenia) E. canis infections. Conclusions: Future
studies must determine if dogs with subclinical E. canis infections eliminated the agent without any
medication, or if they continue to be persistently infected, and will develop
the chronic disease at some point in their lives.