title: Fatal Babesia canis canis infection in a splenectomized Estonian dog.
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.
authors.affiliation: Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014, Tartu, Estonia. valentina.tiskina@emu.ee.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tiškina
authors.affiliation: Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, 1067, Latvia. capligina@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Capligina
authors.affiliation: Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014, Tartu, Estonia. kylli.must@emu.ee.
authors.forename: Külli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Must
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Latvia University of Agriculture, Helmana Street 8, Jelgava, 3004, Latvia. inese.berzina@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Inese
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berzina
authors.affiliation: Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Ratsupites Street 1, Riga, 1067, Latvia. renate_r@biomed.lu.lv.|Riga Stradiņš University, Dzirciema Street 16, Riga, 1007, Latvia. renate_r@biomed.lu.lv.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranka
authors.affiliation: Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51014, Tartu, Estonia. pikka.jokelainen@helsinki.fi.|University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. pikka.jokelainen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Pikka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jokelainen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D004957:Estonia; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
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