Retrospective study of canine infectious haemolytic anaemia cases reveals the importance of molecular investigation in accurate postmortal diagnostic protocols.

Retrospective study of canine infectious haemolytic anaemia cases reveals the importance of molecular investigation in accurate postmortal diagnostic protocols. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019 Aug;65:81-87 Authors: Beck A, Huber D, Antolić M, Anzulović Ž, Reil I, Polkinghorne A, Baneth G, Beck R Abstract Infectious haemolytic anaemia (IHA) in dogs share similar clinical signs including fever, lethargy, icterus, paleness of mucous membranes and splenomegaly. Postmortal findings are similar and, without additional diagnostic methods, an accurate aetiological diagnosis is difficult to achieve. In order to investigate causes of lethal IHA in Croatian dogs, we performed a retrospective study on archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks (FFPEB) from dogs that died due to haemolytic crisis, using microscopic and molecular diagnostic tools to determine the aetiological cause of disease. Molecular analysis was performed on kidney, lung, myocardium and spleen on FFPEB from all dogs. The originally stated aetiological diagnosis of B. canis or leptospirosis was confirmed in only 53% of the dogs. PCR and sequencing revealed that, in addition to the expected pathogens, B. canis and Leptospira interrogans, the presence of previously undiagnosed "new" pathogens causing anaemia including Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Furthermore, Theileria capreoli was detected for the first time in a dog ...
Source: Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases. - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis Source Type: research