The occurence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in canine blood donors in Berlin/Brandenburg (2006-2012): retrospective analysis of clinical data and relevance for transfusion medicine

摘要

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of canine granulocytic anaplasmosis, is an obligatory intracellular bacterium transmitted by lxodes ticks (in Central Europe mainly I. ricinus). Transmission via blood transfusion is also possible. In the Berlin/Brandenburg area the seroprevalence in healthy dogs was 39.8% in previous studies. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate PCRscreening results for A. phagocytophilum as well as results of physical and laboratory examinations in healthy blood donor dogs between 2006-2012. Altogether 917 EDTA blood samples from 517 dogs were submitted for A. phagocytophilum real-time PCR-testing. 158 dogs were tested several times (2-11 times, median 3). The PCR test was positive for 21 of the 917 samples from 21 blood donor dogs. Positive results were most often detected in June (n=8), May (n=5), and July (n=3), but also in five other months. None of the dogs tested PCR-positive more than once. In three of 21 dogs a mild increase in rectal temperature (&= 39.0 degrees C) was documented. Mild laboratory abnormalities were noted in eleven dogs: thrombocytopenia (n=3), leukocytosis (n=2), leukopenia (n=2), anemia (n=1) and hyperproteinemia (6 of 18 tested dogs). There was no significant difference between the PCR-negative and-positive blood samples with regard to laboratory abnormalities.