Regenerative response in dogs naturally and experimentally infected with Babesia rossi

Abstract

Background: The regenerative response following Babesia rossi infection in dogs is mild, despite severe hemolytic anemia. Objective: We aimed to compare the admission absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) and reticulocyte indices in 103 dogs naturally infected with B. rossi with 10 dogs suffering from immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) and 14 healthy control dogs. The regenerative response was also evaluated in five dogs experimentally infected with B. rossi. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of records generated on the ADVIA 2120 hematology analyzer. Results: The median hematocrits (HCT) of the B. rossi and IMHA groups were significantly lower than the control group (p