A lifelong study of a pack Rhodesian ridgeback dogs reveals subclinical and clinical tick-borne Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections with possible reinfection or persistence

Table 3 Clinical episodes of dog L11 from 2003 to 2009 as determined by symptoms, hematology, serology and pathogen detection by PCR or microscopy. Symptoms were not always accompanied by fever and bleeding tendency was not always apparent. Other symptoms as lymphadenopathy, muscle pain, lameness, reluctance to move and lethargy were also observed

Year		2003		2004		2005		2007		2008		2009
Day/Month		18/08	09/10	19/04	29/04	09/03	29/11	27/09	17/10	22/02	11/09	12/05
Hematology (reference)
Erythrocytes (> 5.5/pl)			acanthosis	7.5		7.5	acanthosis	normal		normal	normal
Hemoglobin (> 8.8 mmol/l)				11.4		11,4
HT (> 42%)				52	80	57		60		50
MCV (65.5–75.5 fl)				69.5
MCH (0.90–1.55 pmol)				1.51
MCHC (20.9–22.3 mmol/l)				21.8
Thrombocytes (150–400/nl)		>>>	<	201		236	<	>>>		<<<	<
Leukocytes (5.9–13.8/nl)		16	7	6.9		14.5	6	10		30	60
Neutrophils (55–75%)		87	60	69		80	83	58		80	85
Lymphocytes (13–30%)		9	25	23		7	11	36		15	10
Monocytes (< 5%)		4	12	4		13		4		4	5
Eosinophils (< 4%)		1	3	4		0	1	2		1
Basophils (< 1%)				0		0	4	0
Staphylococcus (< 4%)				0		0		0
Serology
Anaplasma	Immunoblot		neg
	IFT
	Snap test	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	pos	neg	neg	pos	neg
Borrelia	WHC-titer						80
Borrelia	C6 Snap test	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg	neg
Coagulation/other tests			acanthosis			RF neg	Coombs +	RF neg				hypergamma proteinaemia
Microscopy (morulae)		neg	neg		neg	neg	neg	neg		pos	neg
PCR - DNA		neg³	neg^1,3			neg¹				neg¹		spleen pos ⁴
RLB	A. phago variant 1
	A. phago variant 2
	A. phago variant 3
	A. phago variant 4
	E. equi
	HGE agent
Clinics
	Body temperature	38.6		38.9	39.6	39.3		38.9		39.4
	Bleeding	no	no	no	no	no	petechiae	no	no	erythema belly
	Other			Pseudolac	heart after OVH	non-healing wound		arthrosis in shoulders		dyspneu	lick granuloma	euthanasia
	Therapy				doxy	doxy					pleiomorphic malignant lung tumour
	Ticks on dog		yes		yes		yes	yes

Notes: Deviant or positive laboratory results are shown in bold. Serology and Anaplasma DNA detection employed different methods which were performed in different years and laboratories indicated by numbers 1 to 4. Assay method depended on laboratory and year of processing and is indicated as:¹VMDC till 2008; ²RIVM in 2001; ³RIVM in 2003; and ⁴RIVM in 2014. The in-house SNAP® 4Dx test (IDEXX) was employed to determine antibodies against the p44 antigen, which was also detected by immunoblot in the first 2 years as was the IFA (immunofluorescent assay) in the first year. The agent detection by 16S rRNA gene amplification and confirmed by reverse line blot hybridization (RLB) detecting variants of A. phagocytophilum was performed in the first two years. Time of doxycycline therapy and of tick collections from skin are notated
Abbreviations: pos positive, neg negative, pseudolac pseudo-lactation after estrous, OVH spaying by ovariohysterectomy, lymphaden lymphadenopathy, ecchm ecchymosis, resolv resolving, A. phago A. phagocytophilum, E. equi Ehrlichia equi, doxy doxycyclin

ISSN: 1756-3305