PREVALENCE OF CANINE EHRLICHIOSIS IN TAIWAN

Liang SL, Yang HL, and Chen CY

Objective: This study was performed to establish the prevalence of Ehrlichia canis in Taiwan.

Design: Randomly selected retrospective study.

Materials and Methods: A total of 203 randomly selected pet dogs admitted to the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital were included in the survey. There were equal numbers of males and females, with an age distribution from 0.6 to 13 years. Routine hematology and biochemistry values were examined and an E. canis ELISA antibody assay (Immunocomb) was run for each dog.

Results: A total of 19 dogs (9.39%) showed an Immunocomb Combscale >3 indicating they were seropositive for E. canis antibodies. The gender ratio of the seropositive dogs was male: female = 13:6. The hematologic abnormalities of these dogs included leukopenia (1case), anemia (5), thrombocytopenia (2) and hyperglobulinemia (8).

Conclusion: The observed serological evidence showed that ehrlichiosis due to E.canis is common in Taiwan.