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Ocular Histopathology of Ehrlichial Infections in the Dog

Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK (RJP, SAE, AWC)

Histologic examination of eyes and brains of 27 dogs experimentally infected with either Ehrlichia canis, E. ewingii, E. chaffeensis, or human granulocytic ehrlichia (HGE) was conducted in the course of several experiments, the primary objectives of which were to investigate the susceptibility of the domestic dog to infection with various ehrlichial species and to assess the ability of ixodid tick species to acquire and transmit those infections. Uveitis and meningitis occurred in each of the dogs infected with E. canis but was not observed in dogs infected with the other Ehrlichia species. The inflammatory infiltrate was predominantly lymphocytic, monocytic, and plasmacytic; granulocytes were notably few. Ocular inflammation was most common and most intense in the ciliary body, becoming less intense in the choroid, iris, and retina, respectively. Meningitis was often accompanied by mild neuroparenchymal vascular cuffing and gliosis. The meningeal inflammatory cell infiltrate included a prominent monocyte population. Ocular and meningeal lesions were present in all E. canis-infected dogs from 22 through 200 days postexposure. Neither ocular nor brain lesions were observed with any of the other ehrlichial infections.

Key words: Dogs; Ehrlichia canis; Ehrlichia chaffeensis; Ehrlichia ewingii; human granulocytic ehrlichia; ocular histopathology.

Request reprints from Dr. R. J. Panciera, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078 (USA).

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