Fatal Babesia canis canis infection in a splenectomized Estonian dog
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Date
2016-01-25
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Abstract
A previously splenectomized dog from Estonia was presented with a sudden lack of appetite and discoloration of the urine. Despite supportive therapy, its condition deteriorated dramatically during 1 day. Severe thrombocytopenia and high numbers of protozoan hemoparasites were evident in blood smears, and the hematocrit dropped from 46 to 33%. The dog was euthanized before specific antibabesial treatment was initiated. Blood samples from the dog and from two other dogs in the same household tested positive for Babesia using molecular methods, and the sequences of partial 18S rRNA gene confirmed the causative species as Babesia canis canis. The risk of severe, rapidly progressing babesiosis in splenectomized dogs merits awareness.
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Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Tiškina et al.
Keywords
Blood smear, Canine babesiosis, Europe, Splenectomy, 4.3 Veterinary science, 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database, General Veterinary
Citation
Tiškina, V, Capligina, V, Must, K, Berzina, I, Ranka, R & Jokelainen, P 2016, 'Fatal Babesia canis canis infection in a splenectomized Estonian dog', Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, vol. 58, no. 1, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-016-0189-4