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MEDITERRANEAN SPOTTED FEVER Note for Pet Owners:
This information is provided by
Provet for educational purposes only.
You should seek the advice of
your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise
on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for
your pet. Mediterranean
Spotted Fever is an important Zoonosis.
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Description
Mediterranean spotted fever (also called MSF, or Boutonneuse fever) is a
Rickettsial infection which is being reported with increasing frequency and
occurs in humans from Northern European countries who have taken holidays in
Mediterranean countries (including Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and
Greece) with their dogs, or been bitten by ticks whilst on holiday in endemic
areas.
Cause
The cause of MSF is
Breed Occurrence
MSF can affect any breed. It's normal reservoir hosts are rodents and dogs.
People are infected as incidental hosts and they usually catch the disease from
their pet dog or from tick bites.
Various surveys have been conducted in endemic and non-epidemic areas. For example, the serological evidence from 3 studies conducted in Spain showed positive reactions in 26%, 58.6% and 93% of tested dogs respectively. In humans reactive sera have been found in as many as 82% of samples collected from small villages in Salamanca.
In a study conducted in central Spain ticks were removed from dogs and tested for MSF and over 40% were positive.
Signs
In humans the clinical signs are fever, skin eruptions and bed sores, myalgia,
headaches, diarrhoea and weight loss. Both renal and hepatic function can be
affected in patients with this disease. In one report of 13 cases , 10 had been
in contact with a dog, and 4 had been bitten by a tick. So
dogs are in important source of infection for this zoonosis.
Dogs living in endemic areas may be asymptomatic , but dogs that contract the disease may show similar signs to humans.
Complications
Diagnosis
In infected dogs general laboratory findings may include :
- Leukopenia (mild)
- Normocytic normochromic anaemia
- Thrombocytopenia
- Megathrombocytosis
- DIC (rare)
- Biochemical findings consistent with liver or renal damage and failure.
Diagnosis is confirmed by serological testing.
Treatment
Infected dogs may recover spontaneously within a few days of infection, in which
case they develop significant immunity.
Antibiotics. Tetracycline, chloramphenicol, doxycycline and enrofloxacin are all effective against the organism.
Prevention - avoid tick infested areas in endemic parts of the world. Remove attached ticks as soon as possible
Prognosis
Good if diagnosed and treated rapidly
Long term problems
Updated October 2013