First report on Anaplasma platys infection in a dog in the Philippines

Abstract

Anaplasma platys, previously known as Ehrlichia platys,<br />which causes infectious canine cyclic thrombocytopenia, has not<br />been extensively studied in Southeast Asia. Recent reports in the<br />region have been limited to ticks and dogs in Thailand, and to<br />ticks in the Philippines. In this report, DNAfragments of A. platys<br />were molecularly detected in a dog in the Philippines. Apitbull<br />puppy exhibited pancytopenia (WBC: 3.5 x103/μL, PCV:<br />11.5%, RBC: 1.2 x106/μL, HGB: 3.7 g/dL, platelet count: 24<br />x103/μL), hepatitis, elevated alanine amino transferase (127<br />u/L), and splenomegaly. Inclusion bodies in the platelets were<br />also seen in the blood smears of this case. A. platys sequences<br />obtained in the present study revealed 100% homology with A.<br />platys previously detected in a Rhipicephalus sanguineus tick in<br />the country. This study documents the first reported case of A.<br />platys infection in dogs in the Philippines, and adds knowledge<br />to the current vector-borne disease epidemiology in Southeast<br />Asia.