Perfil clínico-laboratorial da erliquiose monocítica canina em cães de Salvador e região metropolitana, Bahia Clinical and laboratorial profile of canine anine monocytic onocytic ehrlichiosis hrlichiosis of dogs from Salvador and metropolitan region of Bahia State State, Brazil

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de traçar o perfil clínico e laboratorial para o diagnóstico da erliquiose canina. Utilizaram-se 75 cães, de ambos os sexos, diferentes idades e raças, da cidade de Salvador e região metropolitana, Bahia, incluídos na pesquisa a partir da suspeita clínica e por apresentar infestação de carrapatos ou histórico de exposição prévia ao vetor. Anticorpos anti-Ehrlichia canis foram encontrados em 98,66% (74/75) dos animais. A PCR foi positiva em 33,3% (25/75) dos cães, enquanto a presença de mórulas foi positiva em 5,33% (4/75) dos suspeitos. Nos animais com PCR (Reação da Polimerase em Cadeia) positivo, febre, desidratação, mucosas hipocoradas e petéquias em membranas mucosas ou na pele e anemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, eosinopenia, linfopenia e trombocitopenia foram os sinais clínicos e laboratoriais estatisticamente significantes (p<0,05) mais freqüentemente encontrados.Canine Ehrlichiosis despite its high morbidy is an illness of great importance in the medical clinic of small animals. The great difficulty for the definitive diagnosis of this disease consists of the little use of more sensible and specific tests considering the clinical signals and more frequent hematological results as exclusive of the illness. This research aimed to provide the clinical-laboratorial profile in the diagnosis of canine ehrlichiosis of 75 dogs, of both sexes, at different ages and races, from Salvador and metropolitan region, Bahia state. The evaluated animals were dogs with clinical suspicion of Ehrlichiosis and tick infestation or description of previous exposition to that vector. Antibodies anti- E. canis were found in 98.66% (74/75) of the animals. The PCR was positive in 33.3% (25/75) of the dogs, while the presence of inclusions (morulae) was observed in 5.33% (4/75) of the suspected animals. Fever, dehydration, pale mucous membranes, petechiae of skin and mucous membranes; and anemia, leucopoenia, neutropenia, eosinopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia were the most significant (p<0.05) clinical and laboratory indicators found in animals with positive PCR