Stiles J
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.
Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2000 Sep;30(5):1135-49. doi: 10.1016/s0195-5616(00)05011-7.
Dogs that live in tick-infested areas are at risk for contracting rickettsial infections. Clinical signs associated with ehrlichiosis or Rocky Mountain spotted fever may be dramatic or mild. Clinicians must consider the possibility of rickettsial diseases to request laboratory tests that will permit a proper diagnosis. Specific antimicrobial therapy usually brings about clinical improvement, although some dogs may not be cleared of rickettsial organisms, even with prolonged treatment. A small percentage of dogs die of rickettsial infections, either in the acute stage or owing to chronic bone marrow suppression and generalized debilitation. Ocular lesions are an important clinical sign in canine rickettsial infections and may aid the clinician in making a diagnosis and monitoring response to therapy.
生活在蜱虫滋生地区的犬类有感染立克次氏体病的风险。与埃立克体病或落基山斑疹热相关的临床症状可能很严重，也可能很轻微。临床医生必须考虑立克次氏体病的可能性，以便要求进行实验室检测，从而做出正确诊断。尽管有些犬即使经过长期治疗也可能无法清除立克次氏体病原体，但特定的抗菌治疗通常会使临床症状得到改善。一小部分犬会死于立克次氏体感染，要么在急性期，要么是由于慢性骨髓抑制和全身虚弱。眼部病变是犬类立克次氏体感染的一个重要临床症状，可能有助于临床医生进行诊断和监测治疗反应。
