Haematologic abnormalities possibly associated with exposure to vector-bornepathogens are rarely reported in clinically healthy outdoor dogs. Therefore, we analysedchanges in the complete blood count (CBC) of clinically healthy outdoor dogsseroreactive to Anaplasma spp. and Babesia spp., with or without microfilariosis. Stray,shelter and hunting dogs, 81 in total, that were polymerase chain reaction negative forAnaplasma spp. and Babesia spp. were divided into groups according to their seroreactivestatus and results of a modified Knott’s test: seronegative to both Anaplasma spp. andBabesia spp. SN (N=26); seroreactive to A. phagocythophilum SR-A (N=12); seroreactiveto B. canis, B. gibsoni and/or B. vogeli SR-B (N=25); and seroreactive to both of thepathogens SR-AB (N=8). These four groups were negative to microfilariosis, unlike thefifth group, seroreactive to either or to both of the pathogens and with microfilariosisSR-M (N=10). The frequencies of CBC alterations among all analysed dogs were:0.35 – leucocytosis, 0.44 – granulocytosis, 0.28 – anaemia, 0.74 – microcytosis, 0.37 –increased mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and 0.33 – thrombocytopenia.The frequency of alterations did not differ across the groups. An exception was theSR-M group wherein increased MCHC peaked with a frequency of 0.80, while in the other four groups, the frequency ranged between 0.10 and 0.50. Clinically healthyoutdoor dogs have multiple CBC abnormalities, consistent with stress and low-levelchronic inflammation, but not associated with a previous exposure to Anaplasma spp. orBabesia spp. The presence of microfilaria increases haemolysis in vitro.
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