Refractory hypoglycaemia in a dog infected with Trypanosoma congolense

Parasite : Journal De La Société Française De Parasitologie
Jack-Yves DeschampsFrançoise A Roux

Abstract

A 20 kg German shepherd dog was presented to a French veterinary teaching hospital for seizures and hyperthermia. The dog had returned 1 month previously from a six-month stay in Senegal and sub-Saharan Africa. Biochemistry and haematology showed severe hypoglycaemia (0.12 g/L), anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Despite administration of large amounts of glucose (30 mL of 30% glucose IV and 10 mL of 70% sucrose by gavage tube hourly), 26 consecutive blood glucose measurements were below 0.25 g/L (except one). Routine cytological examination of blood smears revealed numerous free extracytoplasmic protozoa consistent with Trypanosoma congolense. PCR confirmed a Trypanosoma congolense forest-type infection. Treatment consisted of six injections of pentamidine at 48-hour intervals. Trypanosomes had disappeared from the blood smears four days following the first injection. Clinical improvement was correlated with the normalization of laboratory values. The infection relapsed twice and the dog was treated again; clinical signs and parasites disappeared and the dog was considered cured; however, 6 years after this incident, serological examination by ELISA T. congolense was positive. The status of this dog (infected or non-infected) remai...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 14, 2018·The Journal of Small Animal Practice·R K MorganL Murphy
Apr 27, 2021·Tierärztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·Michael LeschnikBarbara Nell
Aug 13, 2021·The Journal of Immunology : Official Journal of the American Association of Immunologists·Folayemi Olayinka-AdefemiAaron J Marshall

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCRs
blood collection
ELISA
ELISAs
PCR

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