SEROLOGICAL SCREENING FOR ANTIBODIES TO E HRLICHIA-CANIS IN AUSTRIAN DOGS ON THE OCCASION OF A CASE OF CANINE EHRLICHIOSIS

A case of canine Ehrlichiosis in a 1.5 year old male Sloughi from Maur etania is described which came to Austria and showed here clinical sig ns like fever, loss of weight and circulatory trouble and was hospital ized at the Clinic for Internal Medicine, Veterinary University, Vienn a. Because of the clinical signs and laboratory findings (fever, lymph adenopathy, hematuria, hemoglobinuria, bilirubinuria, elevated gamma-g lobulins) in connection with the stay in a foreign country a suspectiv e diagnosis of Canine Ehrlichiosis was made. The serological investiga tion for antibodies to Ehrlichia canis - done by indirect immunofluore scence - showed a high positive result (1:1280) and confirmed the prel iminary diagnosis. Infections with other blood parasites like babesios is or microfilariosis could be ruled out. The therapy with 10 mg doxyc ycline/kg BW during 9 days and 80 ml Canine Concentration Liquid Diet was successful: the dog regenerated within 3 days and the antibodies t o E canis declined after 3 weeks (1:320). According to this case of Ca nine Ehrlichiosis a serological screening was done in 431 blood sample s of dogs from different parts of Austria. In the most cases a previou s bite of a tick had been reported. One third of the animals showed di fferent clinical signs. A journey to foreign countries had been report ed in 15 cases, but only two dogs (returned from Sri Lanka and Greece) had suspicious symptoms (fever, lethargy, elevated gamma-globulin-fra ction, bleeding tendency and titers of antibodies to E canis (1:160 an d 1:320, respectively), which declined after treatment with tetracycli nes. 16 dogs showed antibodies to E canis of 1:20, but neither had cli ncial symptoms nor ever had been abroad. A cross reaction between othe r rickettsiae is thought as possible reason for. It is concluded, that Canine Ehrlichiosis is not endemic in Austria, but can be imported by tourism. The etiological agent, pathogenesis, clinic, diagnosis and g eographic distribution of the Canine Ehrlichiosis are described in det ail.