Ehrlichia canis
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Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis
- Generalised disease of dogs in tropical and subtropical regions
- Caused by Ehrlichia canis
- The brown tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the main vector
- Dogs may carry the organism for 2 years after resolution of clinical signs
- Clinical signs
- Incubation period of 3 weeks
- Acute, subclinical or chronic phases
- Acute phase: fever, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and anaemia
- Subclinical phase: low blood cell numbers but minimal clinical signs; can progress to a severe disease, tropical canine pancytopenia
- Chronic phase: bone marrow depression, haemorrhages, neurological disease, peripheral oedema, emaciation and hypotensive shock
- Diagnosis
- E. canis morulae present in mononuclear cells in Giemsa-stained blood smears
- Rising antibody titre detected by indirect immunofluorescence
- Culture in canine macrophages
- Treatment and control
- Doxycycline for 10 days
- Fluid therapy or blood transfusion
- Prophylactic tetracyclines