Canine Flash Notes - Lyme Disease Flashcards
what is lyme nephropathy likely due to?
likely due to immune-mediated complexes in the glomeruli
what is the agent that causes lyme disease?
gram negative spirochete borrelia burgdorferi
what is the incubation period of lyme disease in humans? what about dogs?
humans: 10-14 days, but up to 36
dogs: 2-5 months, long incubation!!
what is the reservoir host of lyme disease?
white footed mouse
what are the tick vectors of lyme disease?
ixodes scapularis in the midwest/northeast
ixodes pacificus on the pacific coast
what is a presumptive diagnosis of lyme disease based on?
positive for natural exposure - C6 peptide
consistent clinical signs, other differentials ruled out, & response to treatment
why are lyme disease vaccinations controversial?
most serious form of disease has an immune-mediated process
young dogs need to be vaccinated early because post-infection vaccination has little-to-no beneficial effect on established infections
what diagnostic test should be done for a dog that is seropositive for lyme disease?
urinalysis - look for microalbuminemia, proteinuria, & a UPC ratio
what should be communicated to the owner of a dog that is both seropositive & symptomatic for lyme disease?
that it is a zoonotic disease but the dog isn’t a source of infection - just that they can bring the ticks into the home
the disease is difficult to diagnose - a response to treatment doesn’t confirm the diagnosis because many tick borne illnesses respond to doxycycline
what is the most common clinical presentation of a dog with lyme disease?
95% of seropositive dogs are asymptomatic!!
what is the classical clinical presentation of a younger, lyme seropositive dog?
warm, swollen, & painful joints
lymphadenopathy
lyme nephropathy - less common, causing hypertension, vasculitis, & PLN
what is the classic case presentation of humans with lyme disease?
erythema migrans (malaise, fatigue, fever, & stiff neck), arthritis, & meninoradiculitis
what are the tests used for diagnosing lyme disease?
lyme multiplex assay
urinalysis for proteinuria, microalbuminemia, & UPC ratio
antibodies for the C6 peptide specific to natural exposure
ELISA antibody detection
what is the treatment of choice for lyme disease?
doxycycline or amoxicillin used for symptomatic or proteinuric/seropositive dogs
how is lyme disease prevented?
tick prevention & control
