Azotemia and mortality among Babesia microti-like infected dogs

J Vet Intern Med. 2004 Mar-Apr;18(2):141-6. doi: 10.1892/0891-6640(2004)18<141:aamabm>2.0.co;2.

Abstract

Babesia microti-like piroplasms are a recently recognized cause of illness in dogs in northwest Spain. Our objective was to describe the clinical characteristics and investigate the risk factors for azotemia and death among 58 B microti-like infected dogs. Twenty-one of the 58 (36%) dogs were azotemic at the time that the infection was diagnosed. The case fatality rate during the following week was 22%. Dogs with azotemia at the time of diagnosis were 10 times (95% CI, 3.26-28.8) more likely to die during the following week. Azotemia was the main cause of death for B microti-like infected dogs (attributable fraction = 90%). Severe anemia was present in 45 of the 58 (78%) dogs. Azotemic dogs also presented with hyperphosphatemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, proteinuria, and high urine protein: creatinine ratios, suggesting a glomerular component to the disease. Age was the only factor significantly associated with the risk of azotemia (P = .042): on average, a 4-year age increase doubled the risk of an infected dog being azotemic. The only factor significantly associated with mortality was azotemia (P = .001). We concluded that B microti-like infection is associated with a high risk of azotemia and mortality.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Babesia microti / isolation & purification*
  • Babesiosis / complications
  • Babesiosis / epidemiology
  • Babesiosis / veterinary*
  • Blood Cell Count / veterinary
  • Dog Diseases / blood
  • Dog Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Dog Diseases / mortality
  • Dog Diseases / pathology
  • Dogs
  • Female
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Records / veterinary
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Survival Analysis
  • Uremia / etiology
  • Uremia / veterinary*