Associated risk factors and haematological presentation of Ehrlichia canis infected dogs in Phitsanulok, Thailand.

Ehrlichia canis is the common blood pathogen infected dogs in Thailand that significantly affect dog health and caused canine monocytic ehrlichiosis which leads to anaemia, high morbidity also mortality rates. This study was performed to analyse associated risk factors and evaluate the significance of haematological responses of dogs infected with E. canis in Phitsanulok province, the northern part of Thailand. Blood samples were collected from 94 dogs, 27 (28.7%) dogs have been confirmed E. canis infection by nested PCR method. Mostly of infected dogs had hypohemoglobinemia (<12.1 g/dl), leucocytosis (>15.5×10 ³ /μl), neutrophilia (>10.6×10 ³ /μl) and thrombocytopenia (<170×10 ³ /μl). However, only thrombocytopenia was statistically different between E. canis infected and non-infected groups. Additionally, no significant statistical relationship between E. canis infection rate and sex, age or breed apparent. These data supported that infection with E. canis is endemic in dogs and thrombocytopenia may highlight during infection which reliability to use in the clinical diagnosis of E. canis infection.