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Review
. 2021 Dec 8;8(12):312.
doi: 10.3390/vetsci8120312.

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Control of Canine Infectious Cyclic Thrombocytopenia and Granulocytic Anaplasmosis: Emerging Diseases of Veterinary and Public Health Significance

Farhan Ahmad Atif  1 , Saba Mehnaz  1   2 , Muhammad Fiaz Qamar  3 , Taleeha Roheen  4 , Muhammad Sohail Sajid  2 , Syed Ehtisham-Ul-Haque  3 , Muhammad Kashif  1 , Mourad Ben Said  5   6
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Control of Canine Infectious Cyclic Thrombocytopenia and Granulocytic Anaplasmosis: Emerging Diseases of Veterinary and Public Health Significance

Farhan Ahmad Atif et al. Vet Sci. .

Abstract

This review highlights the diagnostic methods used, the control strategies adopted, and the global epidemiological status of canine cyclic thrombocytopenia and granulocytic anaplasmosis at the animal-human interface. Canine anaplasmosis is an important worldwide disease, mainly caused by Anaplasma platys and A. phagocytophilum with zoonotic implications. A. platys chiefly infects platelets in canids, while A. phagocytophilum is the most common zoonotic pathogen infecting neutrophils of various vertebrate hosts. Diagnosis is based on the identification of clinical signs, the recognition of intracellular inclusions observed by microscopic observation of stained blood smear, and/or methods detecting antibodies or nucleic acids, although DNA sequencing is usually required to confirm the pathogenic strain. Serological cross-reactivity is the main problem in serodiagnosis. Prevalence varies from area to area depending on tick exposure. Tetracyclines are significant drugs for human and animal anaplasmosis. No universal vaccine is yet available that protects against diverse geographic strains. The control of canine anaplasmosis therefore relies on the detection of vectors/reservoirs, control of tick vectors, and prevention of iatrogenic/mechanical transmission. The control strategies for human anaplasmosis include reducing high-risk tick contact activities (such as gardening and hiking), careful blood transfusion, by passing immunosuppression, recognizing, and control of reservoirs/vectors.

Keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Anaplasma platys; canine anaplasmosis; control; diagnosis; epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Blue color Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the cytoplasm of neutrophils in dog blood; Wright’s stain, 1000× (source: https://eclinpath.com; accessed on 11 August 2021; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Blue–purple inclusions of Anaplasma platys in dog blood with thrombocytopenia; Wright’s stain 1000× (source: https://eclinpath.com; accessed on 11 August 2021; Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Human A. phagocytophilum infection, indicating morulae in infected neutrophils [142].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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