Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Rhipicephalus sanguineus </it>is a ubiquitous tick responsible for transmitting <it>Ehrlichia canis </it>and most likely <it>Anaplasma platys </it>to dogs, as either single or co-infections. Th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2010-04-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Online Access: | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/33 |
| _version_ | 1811252905853845504 |
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| author | Diniz PPVP Lorentzen L Stillman BA Beall MJ Gaunt SD Chandrashekar R Breitschwerdt EB |
| author_facet | Diniz PPVP Lorentzen L Stillman BA Beall MJ Gaunt SD Chandrashekar R Breitschwerdt EB |
| author_sort | Diniz PPVP |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Rhipicephalus sanguineus </it>is a ubiquitous tick responsible for transmitting <it>Ehrlichia canis </it>and most likely <it>Anaplasma platys </it>to dogs, as either single or co-infections. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of either simultaneous or sequential experimental infections with <it>E. canis </it>and <it>A. platys </it>on hematological and serological parameters, duration of infection, and efficacy of doxycycline therapy in dogs infected with one or both organisms. Six dogs per group were either uninfected, <it>A. platys </it>infected, <it>E. canis </it>infected, <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected, <it>A. platys </it>infected and <it>E. canis </it>challenged or <it>E. canis </it>infected and <it>A. platys </it>challenged at day 112 post-infection (PI). Doxycycline treatment was initiated at 211 days PI, followed by dexamethasone immunosuppression beginning 410 days PI.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Initially, transient decreases in hematocrit occurred in all groups infected with <it>E. canis</it>, but the mean hematocrit was significantly lower in the <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected group. All dogs except the controls developed marked thrombocytopenia after initial infection followed by gradually increased platelet counts by 112 days PI in groups with the single infections, while platelet counts remained significantly lower in the <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected group. Both sequential and simultaneous infections of <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>produced an enhanced humoral immune response to <it>A. platys </it>when compared to infection with <it>A. platys </it>alone. Likewise, co-infection with <it>E. canis </it>and <it>A. platys </it>resulted in a more persistent <it>A. platys </it>infection compared to dogs infected with <it>A. platys </it>only, but nearly all <it>A. platys </it>infected dogs became <it>A. platy</it>s PCR negative prior to doxycycline treatment. <it>E. canis </it>infected dogs, whether single or co-infected, remained thrombocytopenic and <it>E. canis </it>PCR positive in blood for 420 days. When treated with doxycycline, all <it>E. canis </it>infected dogs became <it>E. canis </it>PCR negative and the thrombocytopenia resolved. Despite immunosuppression, neither <it>A. platys </it>nor <it>E. canis </it>DNA was PCR amplified from doxycycline-treated dogs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of this study demonstrate that simultaneous or sequential infection with <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>can alter various pathophysiological parameters in experimentally infected dogs, and because natural exposure to multiple tick-borne pathogens occurs frequently in dogs, awareness of co-infection is important in clinical practice.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:41:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b78f824a1c4c474ea52b9a022d543915 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T16:41:42Z |
| publishDate | 2010-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-b78f824a1c4c474ea52b9a022d5439152022-12-22T03:24:45ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052010-04-01313310.1186/1756-3305-3-33Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findingsDiniz PPVPLorentzen LStillman BABeall MJGaunt SDChandrashekar RBreitschwerdt EB<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Rhipicephalus sanguineus </it>is a ubiquitous tick responsible for transmitting <it>Ehrlichia canis </it>and most likely <it>Anaplasma platys </it>to dogs, as either single or co-infections. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of either simultaneous or sequential experimental infections with <it>E. canis </it>and <it>A. platys </it>on hematological and serological parameters, duration of infection, and efficacy of doxycycline therapy in dogs infected with one or both organisms. Six dogs per group were either uninfected, <it>A. platys </it>infected, <it>E. canis </it>infected, <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected, <it>A. platys </it>infected and <it>E. canis </it>challenged or <it>E. canis </it>infected and <it>A. platys </it>challenged at day 112 post-infection (PI). Doxycycline treatment was initiated at 211 days PI, followed by dexamethasone immunosuppression beginning 410 days PI.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Initially, transient decreases in hematocrit occurred in all groups infected with <it>E. canis</it>, but the mean hematocrit was significantly lower in the <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected group. All dogs except the controls developed marked thrombocytopenia after initial infection followed by gradually increased platelet counts by 112 days PI in groups with the single infections, while platelet counts remained significantly lower in the <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>co-infected group. Both sequential and simultaneous infections of <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>produced an enhanced humoral immune response to <it>A. platys </it>when compared to infection with <it>A. platys </it>alone. Likewise, co-infection with <it>E. canis </it>and <it>A. platys </it>resulted in a more persistent <it>A. platys </it>infection compared to dogs infected with <it>A. platys </it>only, but nearly all <it>A. platys </it>infected dogs became <it>A. platy</it>s PCR negative prior to doxycycline treatment. <it>E. canis </it>infected dogs, whether single or co-infected, remained thrombocytopenic and <it>E. canis </it>PCR positive in blood for 420 days. When treated with doxycycline, all <it>E. canis </it>infected dogs became <it>E. canis </it>PCR negative and the thrombocytopenia resolved. Despite immunosuppression, neither <it>A. platys </it>nor <it>E. canis </it>DNA was PCR amplified from doxycycline-treated dogs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of this study demonstrate that simultaneous or sequential infection with <it>A. platys </it>and <it>E. canis </it>can alter various pathophysiological parameters in experimentally infected dogs, and because natural exposure to multiple tick-borne pathogens occurs frequently in dogs, awareness of co-infection is important in clinical practice.</p>http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/33 |
| spellingShingle | Diniz PPVP Lorentzen L Stillman BA Beall MJ Gaunt SD Chandrashekar R Breitschwerdt EB Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings Parasites & Vectors |
| title | Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings |
| title_full | Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings |
| title_fullStr | Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings |
| title_short | Experimental infection and co-infection of dogs with <it>Anaplasma platys </it>and <it>Ehrlichia canis</it>: hematologic, serologic and molecular findings |
| title_sort | experimental infection and co infection of dogs with it anaplasma platys it and it ehrlichia canis it hematologic serologic and molecular findings |
| url | http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/3/1/33 |
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