Clinical and Laboratory Profile of Dogs Seroreactive to Ehrlichiosis Treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Niterói, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22456/1679-9216.116039Abstract
Background: Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease highly prevalent in Brazil, and is relevant in canine clinical practice due to its high morbidity and mortality. Its clinical signs are nonspecific and its phases are acute, lasting 2 to 4 weeks; subclinical, i.e., asymptomatic; and chronic, resembling an autoimmune disease. The purpose of this study was to identify the occurrence of reactivity to Ehrlichia canis of bitches treated at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) - Niterói, RJ, Brazil, based on serological examination by iELISA, and to compare the hematological, biochemical, urinary protein-creatinine and urinary density profiles of reactive and non-reactive animals.
Materials, Methods & Results: This study involved solely bitches, regardless of breed, starting at 1 year of age. One hundred and thirty bitches, 1 to 16 year-old (mean age 7.02 ± 4.00), weighing 1.5 to 50 kg (mean weight 12.12 ± 10.65) were subjected to clinical examination and abdominal ultrasound. Complete blood count, biochemical measurements, urinalysis and serology for E. canis were also performed. The serum was used in the iELISA to identify immunoglobulin G (IgG), using a canine Ehrlichia Imunotest® diagnostic kit (Imunodot®, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sixty animals (46.20%) were reactive to E. canis. According to their owners, only 5 (8.3%) of the 60 seroreactive animals had a history of tick-borne disease. The most common profile was that of mixed breed animals living with their owners, older than 7 years, who had not been treated preventatively with specific drugs against ectoparasites. Laboratory tests showed significant differences between groups in terms of total protein (TP), and calcium and urinary protein-creatinine ratio (UPC). TP and UPC were elevated in the non-reactive group, while the only significant change in the reactive group was mild hypocalcemia. In this study, 30% (18/60) of the bitches were seroreactive to E. canis and had hypocalcemia. Of these, 50% (9/18) had a UPC above 0.5. Furthermore, 66.7% (12/18) of this group with hypocalcemia also showed urine density (UD) of less than 1024. Among these 18 bitches, 5 had both alterations, i.e., UPC > 0.5 and UD < 1024.
Discussion: In this study, a high prevalence of bitches seroreactive to Ehrlichia canis was observed, despite the absence of clinical and/or laboratory signs indicative of the disease. In the investigation of IgG class antibodies, it is not possible to determine the exact time of infection, and titers may remain high for a period of more than 11 months, even after treatment and elimination of the bacterium. The fact that most seroreactive bitches showed no symptoms compatible with the disease either before or during the study suggests that they were in the subclinical phase of ehrlichiosis. The main reason for calcium metabolism disorders is a phosphorus imbalance, a condition that occurs in kidney diseases. Isosthenuria reflects the kidney’s inability to concentrate urine. This finding may be one of the first clinical manifestations of chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially in dogs. On the other hand, the UPC ratio may increase with the progression of CKD. The presence of hypocalcemia, isosthenuria and increased UPC associated with seroreactivity suggests that infection by E. canis may be associated with the onset of CKD. Veterinarians should keep in mind the complexity of the pathophysiology of ehrlichiosis to ensure the disease is not underdiagnosed in any of its phases, thereby ensuring the correct treatment is provided. Such awareness is expected to reduce the chronicity of the disease and underlying sequelae among dogs.
Keywords: Ehrlichia canis, serology, tick, clinic, renal.
Descritores: Ehrlichia canis, sorologia, carrapato, clínica, renal.
Título: Perfil clínico e laboratorial de cadelas sororeativas para erliquiose tratadas em um Hospital Veterinário Universitário em Niterói, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Downloads
References
Aguiar D.M., Cavalcante G.T., Pinter A., Gennari S.M., Camargo L.M.A. & Labruna M.B. 2007. Prevalence of Ehrlichia canis (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) in Dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks from Brazil. Journal of Medical Entomology. 44(1): 126-132.
Ayres M., Ayres J.R.M., Ayres D.L. & Santos A.A.S. 2007. Bioestat 5.0 - Aplicações estatísticas nas áreas das ciências biomédicas. In: Qui-quadrado. Pará: ONG Mamiraua, pp. 211-213.
Costa M.P., Horta R.S., Coura F.M. & Mol J.P.S. 2015. Bioquímica sérica de cães infectados por Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma platys e Leishmania sp. Acta Scientiae Veterinariae. 43: 1-7.
Day M.J. 2011. The immunopathology of canine vector-borne diseases. Parasites & Vectors. 4(48): 1-13.
Duffy M.E., Specht A. & Hill R.C. 2015. Comparison between urine protein: creatinine ratios of samples obtained from dogs in home and hospital settings. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 29: 1029-1035.
Gaunt S.D., Beall M.J., Stillman B.A., Lorentzen L., Diniz P.P.V.P., Chandrashekar R. & Breitschwerdt E.B. 2010. Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings. Parasites & Vectors. 3(33): 1-12.
Goldstein R.E., Brovida C., Fernández‐del Palacio M.J., Littman M.P., Polzin D.J., Zatelli A. & Cowgill L.D. 2013. Consensus Recommendations for Treatment for Dogs with Serology Positive Glomerular Disease. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 27: 60-66.
Jain N.C. 1993. Essentials of Veterinary Hematology. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, pp.24-47.
Kaneko J.J., Harvey J. & Bruss M. 1997. Clinical Biochemistry of Domestic Animals. 5th edn. New York: Academic Press, pp.102-249.
Labarthe N., Campos-Perreira M., Barbarini O., McKee W., Coimbra C.A. & Hoskins J. 2003. Serologic Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis, Ehrlichia canis, and Borrelia burgdorferi Infections in Brazil. Vet Therapy. 4(1): 67-75.
Lapin M.R. 2010. Doenças riquetsiais polissistêmicas. In: Nelson R.W. & Couto C.G. (Eds). Medicina Interna de Pequenos Animais. 4.ed. Rio de Janeiro: Elsevier, pp.1322-1335.
Leal P.D., Moraes M.I., Barbosa L.L. & Lopes C.W. 2015. Infecção por hematozoários nos cães domésticos atendidos em serviço de saúde animal, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Brazilian Journal of Medicine Veterinary. 37(1): 55-62.
Lemos M., Vilela D.C., Almeida S.J., Braga I.A. & Catarino E.M. 2017. Erliquiose Canina: Uma Abordagem Geral. In: Anais Colóquio Estadual de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar & Congresso Nacional de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar (Brasil). p.62.
Meneses I.D., Souza B.M., Teixeira C.M. & Guimarães J.E. 2008. Perfil clínico-laboratorial da erliquiose monocítica canina em cães de Salvador e região metropolitana. Revista Brasileira Saúde Produção Animal. 9(4): 770-776.
Nerr T.M., Breitschwerdt E.B., Greene R.T. & Lappin M.R. 2002. Consensus Statement on Ehrlichial Disease of Small Animals from the Infectious Disease Study Group of the ACVIM. Journal Veterinary Internal Medicine. 16: 309-315.
Sainz A. 2015. Guideline for veterinary practitioners on canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in Europe. Parasites and Vectors. 8(75): 1-22.
Silva N., Almeida J.B.P., Boa-Sorte A.C., Freitas E.G., Santos A.G., Aguiar M. & Souza L. 2010. Soroprevalência de anticorpos anti-Ehrlichia canis em cães de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária. 19(2): 108-111.
Ueno T.E., Aguiar D.M. & Pacheco R.S. 2009. Ehrlichia canis em cães atendidos em hospital veterinário de Botucatu, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária. 18(3): 57-61.
Waki M.F., Martorelli C.R., Mosko P.E. & Kogika M.M. 2010. Classificação em estágios da doença renal crônica em cães e gatos: abordagem clínica, laboratorial e terapêutica. Ciência Rural. 40(10): 2226-2234.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal provides open access to all of its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Such access is associated with increased readership and increased citation of an author's work. For more information on this approach, see the Public Knowledge Project and Directory of Open Access Journals.
We define open access journals as journals that use a funding model that does not charge readers or their institutions for access. From the BOAI definition of "open access" we take the right of users to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles" as mandatory for a journal to be included in the directory.
La Red y Portal Iberoamericano de Revistas Científicas de Veterinaria de Libre Acceso reúne a las principales publicaciones científicas editadas en España, Portugal, Latino América y otros países del ámbito latino