COINFECÇÃO POR HEMATOZOÁRIOS E VÍRUS DA CINOMOSE EM UM CÃO: RELATO DE CASO

Abstract

Coinfection between hemoparasitic diseases and canine distemper virus represents an important clinical and diagnostic challenge in veterinary medicine due to overlapping clinical signs and the complexity of laboratory alterations involved. This study aimed to report a case of coinfection by Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma platys, and canine distemper virus in a dog, highlighting the clinical, laboratory, molecular, and therapeutic findings. An 11-year-old male Rottweiler dog was admitted presenting hyporexia, progressive weight loss, apathy, hyperthermia, and bilateral ocular discharge. Complete blood count, serum biochemistry, abdominal ultrasonography, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed. Hematological evaluation revealed findings compatible with inflammatory process and possible early bone marrow response, including borderline low hemoglobin and hematocrit values, metarubricytes, erythrocyte rouleaux formation, relativelymphocytosis, relative neutropenia, and hyperproteinemia. Ultrasonographic examination demonstrated nodular splenomegaly, hepatic alterations, colitis, and prostatitis associated with cystic lesions. qPCR confirmed simultaneous detection of Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp., Anaplasma platys, and canine distemper virus. Treatment included doxycycline, diminazene diaceturate, ribavirin, vitamin A, dimethyl sulfoxide, and intensive supportive therapy, resulting in progressive clinical improvement and absence of neurological progression during follow-up. It was concluded that the association of molecular methods with integrated clinical evaluation was essential for diagnosis and management, reinforcing the importance of investigating coinfections in dogs presenting nonspecific clinical signs and unknown vaccination history.