Canine babesiosis is caused by Babesia rossi and the infection is very virulent. Some cases suffer from major complications including haemolytic anaemia, hepatopathy, acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, hypoglycaemia, cerebral haemorrhages and pancreatitis. The disease has a mortality rate between 7–10%. Consequently, there is a need to improve understanding of the risk factors associated with poor clinical outcome. The current study examines the association between B. rossi infection and serum concentrations of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the major circulating vitamin D metabolite. Hypovitaminosis D has been reported in a wide range of infectious diseases in humans and dogs and low vitamin D status has been associated with poor clinical outcomes. This is the first study to investigate vitamin D status in canine babesiosis.

The hypothesis of this study was that dogs with babesiosis would have a lower vitamin D status than healthy dogs and that hypovitaminosis D would be associated with disease severity. The serum 25(OH)D metabolites were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Dogs were excluded from all groups if they were less than 1 year old, had concurrent diseases or were receiving corticosteroids. Blood was collected upon admission. The babesiosis cases were scored for severity. Each of the previously described babesiosis complications, inter alia, high serum lactate, hypoglycaemia, hypercortisolaemia, hypothyroxinemia, presence of SIRS received a score of 1. Finally, the total individual severity score was calculated.

Dogs with babesiosis (n=35) had significantly lower 25(OH)D concentrations than the control group (n=24) (24.05±17.71 vs. 88.75±38.25, p<0.001). ANCOVA analysis demonstrated that the effect of babesiosis on 25(OH)D concentrations compared to control dogs was still significant after considering the effect of age and weight. In addition, hypovitaminosis D was not significantly affected by serum creatinine and ALT concentrations, thereby eliminating the effect of renal insufficiency or liver damage, respectively. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that hypovitaminosis D was not significantly correlated with the time from last meal (anorexia). Yet, hypovitaminosis D was significantly influenced by hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia and hypoglobulinemia. Finally, among the babesiosis cases, the severity score had a significant inverse correlation (r=-0.39, p=0.04) with serum 25(OH)D concentrations.

These results indicate that hypovitaminosis D is associated with canine Babesia rossi infection. The inverse correlation between 25(OH)D concentrations and the severity score and the association between hypovitaminosis D and hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia and hypoglobulinemia indicate that hypovitaminosis D might be a helpful indicator of severity and prognosis.

Disclosures

No disclosures to report