Ehrlichia canis infection in two dogs that emigrated from endemic areas.
Two dogs, emigrated from Zambia and China to Japan, were diagnosed with Ehrlichia canis infection. Both cases had thrombocytopenia, non-regenerative anemia, and hypergloblinemia with polyclonal gammopathy. Case 1 had ataxia of the hind limbs. Severe meningitis was revealed by magnetic resonance imaging examination. Intracytoplasmic inclusions were observed in mononuclear cells of cerebrospinal fluid. Case 2 had a history of bilateral epistaxis, and severe pancytopenia was noticed in complete blood count. Diagnosis was finally achieved by nested polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis. Thus, even in non-endemic areas, E. canis infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of clinically ill dogs that emigrated from endemic areas.
Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan. kbaba@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp
Kenji
K
Baba
Kazuhito
K
Itamoto
Akiteru
A
Amimoto
Kozue
K
Kitagawa
Hiroko
H
Hiraoka
Takuya
T
Mizuno
Hiroshi
H
Sato
Masaru
M
Okuda
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002681:China; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D041061:Ehrlichia canis / Q000235:genetics*; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000473:pathology; D007564:Japan; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D015024:Zambia