Canine Lyme disease in Belgium.
Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem disease caused by the tick-borne spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. In addition to causing human illness, borreliosis has been recorded in many species of mammals, including domestic animals which come into contact with the infected tick vector. This paper describes the first two cases to the authors' knowledge of Lyme borreliosis in dogs in Belgium. Both animals suffered recurrent lameness and general prostration. In addition, one of the dogs had recurrent paralysis of nerves V, VII, IX and X, leading to dysphagia and total bilateral paralysis of the mandibular muscles. This complication of Lyme borreliosis has been well documented in human pathology, but has not previously been recorded in the veterinary literature.
McKenna
P
P
Belgian Zoonosis Workgroup, Queen Astrid Military Hospital, Brussels.
Clement
J
J
Van Dijck
D
D
Lauwerys
M
M
Carey
D
D
Van den Bogaard
T
T
Bigaignon
G
G
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001530:Belgium; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D004285:Dogs; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000382:microbiology; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D010243:Paralysis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012008:Recurrence
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M