title: Tick toxicosis in a dog bitten by Ornithodoros brasiliensis.
abstract: Ticks are hematophagous parasites of people and animals and are a public health hazard in several countries. They are vectors of infectious diseases; in addition, the bite of some ticks, mainly from the Ornithodoros genus, may lead to local lesions and systemic illness, referred to as tick toxicosis. In this report, we describe a dog bitten by Ornithodoros brasiliensis, popularly known as the mouro tick. The main clinical findings were disseminated skin rash, pruritus, mucosal hyperemia, lethargy, and fever. Laboratory abnormalities 48 hours after the bites occurred included mild nonregenerative anemia, eosinophilia, basophilia, increased serum creatine kinase activity, increased serum C-reactive protein concentration, and prolonged coagulation times. Tick-borne pathogens were not detected by PCR analysis or serologic testing, supporting the diagnosis of a noninfectious syndrome due to tick bite, compatible with tick toxicosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor (IPVDF), Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária (FEPAGRO), Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil. jose.reck@gmail.com
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reck
authors.forename: João Fábio
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Termignoni
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
authors.forename: João Ricardo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Martins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D001938:Brazil; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005076:Exanthema / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D005334:Fever / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D053609:Lethargy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D026861:Ornithodoros / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D011537:Pruritus / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013986:Tick Toxicoses / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein