Different Babesia canis isolates, different diseases

Abstract

Using surface immunofluorescence isolate-specific antigens were detected on the membrane of erythrocytes infected with Babesia parasites. In addition, the strains reacted differently with Plasmagel in that the European isolate (B.c. canis) could be purified on Plasmagel effectively, whereas infected erythrocytes of the South-African isolate (B.c. rossi) could not. Experimental infection of dogs with Babesia canis isolates from geographically different areas revealed different pathology. The European isolate obtained from France exhibited transient parasitaemia, usually below 1%, associated with low PCV values and congestion of internal organs. Clinical disease was correlated with an effect on the coagulation system, and not with peripheral parasitaemia. Infection of dogs with South-African-derived isolate induced high parasitaemia usually much higher than 1%, which required chemotherapeutic treatment. In these animals clinical disease was correlated with peripheral parasitaemia and not with parameters of the coagulation system. The results show that the etiology of disease caused by these isolates of B.c. canis and B.c. rossi is different. This might have implications for the development of vaccines against these infections.

Alterations in some blood coagulation parameters in naturally occurring cases of canine babesiosis

“…During the observation periods before and after antibabesial therapy, no significant PT differences compared to the healthy control group were observed. Schetters et al (1997) reported that there were no statistically significant effects on prothrombin and thrombin times during the infection period, which was similar to what is reported here.…”

“…There were no statistically significant differences in the APTT values between treatment and control groups on days 0 and 1. In contrast, Schetters et al (1997) demonstrated that there was an increase in the APTT at the time parasites were detected in the peripheral blood. In this report we demonstrated that the APTT levels were reduced on days 2 and 3 after treatment compared to the control group.…”

“…It is now clear that babesiosis influences haemostasis as evidenced by consumptive coagulopathy which has been described in natural and experimental Babesia infections in dogs (Schetters et al, 1997;Máthé et al, 2006;Ruiz de Gopegui et al, 2007). However, questions remain regarding the degree of activation and the clinical significance of these changes.…”

Preliminary Study on the Safety of a New Vaccine Against Canine Babesiosis Containing Soluble Parasitic Antigen (SPA)

“…Earlier results by Schetters et al (14) have shown that in canine babesiosis, which is characterised by erythrocyte retention, the disease is correlated with the effects on the coagulation system, in contrast to infections characterised by exponentially developing parasitaemia, where the disease is correlated with the peripheral parasitaemia. Vaccination appears to prime Th-cells that assist in the generation of antibodies against SPA, which interfere with the trigger of this pathological process (14). The clinical picture of babesiosis largely depends on the systems and organs within which SPA-induced pathological reactions take place (11,(15)(16)(17).…”

Türkiye’de Köpeklerde Babesia canis canis’in Klinik ve Parazitolojik Olarak İlk Tespiti

“…[2,[4][5][6] . Perakut, akut, kronik ve subklinik seyir gösteren kanin babesiosis'de klinik belirtiler tür, vektör, ırk, yaş ve immun duruma göre değişebilmektedir [1][2][3][6][7][8][9][10][11] .…”