What is piroplasmosis?
Piroplasmosis, also called babesiosis, is a fairly common vector-borne disease of dogs caused by a blood parasite inoculated during a tick bite.
Once present in the dog's bloodstream, the parasite enters the animal's red blood cells and eventually destroys them, causing severe symptoms of anemia in the dog.
How is piroplasmosis caught in dogs?
Babesia, the protozoa involved
The causative agents of piroplasmosis in dogs are Babesia.These are small pear-shaped parasites from the protozoa family that multiply within the dog's red blood cells (red blood cells) before bursting them out. There are several species of Babesia among:
- Babesia canis, the most common piroplasm in France and Europe and carried by Dermacentor reticulatus ticks,
- Babesia vogelis, transmitted by the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus or kennel tick.
Understanding the life cycle of Babesia
The parasitic cycle of Babesia is quite complex. It involves a definitive host, the tick, and an intermediate host, the dog. In the latter, the inoculation of the parasite - contained in the tick's digestive tract then in its salivary glands - is done during the bite of the tick, from 48 hours after the start of its blood meal.The parasite thus inoculated then reaches the red blood cells of the dog, enters them to multiply and then comes out by causing them to burst. New ticks are infested during their blood meal by globules containing the parasite or are born already infested by contamination of the eggs of their parent.
Dog contamination through blood
A dog can therefore catch piroplasmosis when it is bitten by a tick itself infested with the Babesia canis or Babesia vogelis parasite, from the 48 hours following the start of the tick's blood meal.
More rarely, a dog can become contaminated following a blood transfusion if his donor is himself contaminated by the parasite. Of course, this risk is extremely limited by choosing a perfectly he althy donor who is properly vaccinated and treated against external parasites such as ticks.
Can piroplasmosis be transmitted to humans?
No. A dog with piroplasmosis is in no way contagious to humans. Similarly, a tick bite infested with piroplasms does not cause disease in humans. Human beings can however catch other diseases via a tick bite, such as Lyme disease for example.
The regions most at risk in France
If ticks potentially vectors of piroplasmosis are present everywhere in metropolitan France, the disease is more often observed in the South-West, in the Centre, in Auvergne, in Ile de France and in Alsace. However, these outbreaks may vary from year to year.
Please note that the presence of ticks in a region does not mean that there is a risk of piroplasmosis because other criteria must be met for the disease to settle in a given region.
What are the symptoms of piroplasmosis?
The acute form
The protozoa present in the dog's red blood cells will cause them to burst, causing severe anemia which typically manifests as:
- a very strong dejection of the animal which seems extremely tired in a very brutal way,
- a high fever (40°C to 41°C, instead of 38°C),
- a reddish-brown to brown urine color (the urine can take on the color of coca-cola),
- a pallor of the mucous membranes (white inside of the lips instead of being pale pink).
Without prompt treatment, piroplasmosis can cause immune reactions that can lead to liver and kidney damage. It can then be fatal very quickly for the dog.
Atypical shapes
In some cases, piroplasmosis is manifested by much more discreet signs than in the acute form described above or in atypical forms with respiratory, cardiac, digestive, neurological, muscular, cutaneous or hemorrhagic symptoms.
What is the incubation period for piroplasmosis?
Symptoms may appear within 7 to 10 days after tick inoculation with piroplasm.
How is piroplasmosis diagnosed?
To make the diagnosis of piroplasmosis, the veterinarian will have to use blood and urine tests.
What is the treatment for piroplasmosis?
The treatment consists of the administration of one or more injections of a product that destroys piroplasms and is called a piroplasmicide. If the diagnosis is established quickly and the treatment is rapid, it most often allows the recovery of the dog without sequelae.
Depending on the condition of the animal, hospitalization and additional care may be necessary (infusion, transfusion, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics). If the treatment is too late, the disease can leave serious renal or hepatic sequelae or lead to the death of the animal. The speed of the implementation of the treatment is therefore of crucial importance!
How to protect your dog?
Vaccination
There is a vaccine against piroplasmosis that dogs can receive from 5 months of age and which consists of two initial injections spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart and accompanied by annual to biannual reminders. Unfortunately, the vaccine is not 100% effective. It simply limits the severity of the clinical signs of the disease.
Parasitic treatment
Given the seriousness of the disease and the relative effectiveness of the vaccine, the best is possible that your dog will not be bitten by ticks potentially carrying the parasite responsible for piroplasmosis.To do this, treat your pet with pest control products that are effective against ticks.
Available in pipettes, tablets, necklaces or sprays, they are sold in pharmacies, specialized stores or at your veterinarian.
Before treating your animal, always ask your veterinarian for advice because certain antiparasitic products are contraindicated in puppies and certain breeds of dog.
Note carefully!
A dog that has already contracted piroplasmosis is not immune to the disease. It is therefore necessary to continue to protect it from ticks because it can be re-infested on the occasion of a new bite.
Inspecting your dog's coat: an essential act
Finally, be careful: products aren't everything! Poorly applied, they are not 100% effective and ticks become resistant to them! It is therefore essential to inspect your dog's coat, against the grain, on returning from each walk to check for ticks.However, if you find one, you will have to remove it as quickly as possible using a tick remover. It is a small object in the shape of a crowbar, on sale in all pharmacies for one or two euros, which allows the tick to be unscrewed and removed without leaving part of it, its rostrum, in your dog's skin. Never use alcohol or ether, which make the tick vomit and thus increase the risk of contamination for the dog. Prohibit the use of tweezers with which you have every chance of leaving the tick's head stuck in the dog's skin.
Once removed, burn the tick so it can't cling to your pooch or even your skin.
Watch your dog in the days following the tick bite and take him to your veterinarian at the slightest sign of piroplasmosis!