Hematological alterations of dogs naturally infected by members of Anaplasmataceae family diagnosed by peripheral blood smear

Abstract

Canine ehrlichiosis is a very important infectious disease in Brazil, with higher prevalence rates in tropical and subtropical regions due to the distribution of the vector. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological alterations of dogs naturally infected with Ehrlichia spp. or Anaplasma platys, diagnosed by the visualization of morulae in mononuclear cells or platelets in blood smears. We have evaluated 909 blood smears of dogs submitted to the Veterinary Hospital, during the period of fourteen months. In infections caused by Ehrlichia spp. the most frequent changes were anemia (74.85%), eosinopenia (62.85%), nuclear deviation of neutrophils to the left (14,85%), lymphopenia (56.57%) and leukopenia (29.71%). On the other hand, in infections suggestive of Anaplasma platys it was observed lymphopenia (51.85%), leukopenia (24.07%) and eosinopenia (44.44%). Among the anemic animals, the most common type of anemia was normocytic normochromic. Thus, eosinopenia, lymphopenia, normocytic normochromic anemia and leukopenia were the most common findings in the studied infections.