TABLE 2.
Clinical characteristics of Missouri dogs tested for Ehrlichia
| Characteristic or finding | No. of animals with data available | No. (%) of animals that werea:
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ill (n = 78)
|
Asymptomatic (n = 10)
|
||||
| PCR positive (n = 20) | PCR negative (n = 58) | PCR positive (n = 2) | PCR negative (n = 8) | ||
| Male | 85 | 6 (32) | 26 (46) | 1 (100) | 4 (50) |
| Fertile | 81 | 5 (29) | 19 (35) | 0 | 1 (13) |
| Mean age (yr) | 85 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 3.1 |
| Febrile | 78 | 9 (45) | 26 (45) | NA | NA |
| Musculoskeletal findingsb | 78 | 15 (75) | 37 (64) | NA | NA |
| Tick exposure | 78 | 15 (75)* | 29 (50)* | NA | NA |
| Thrombocytopenia | 22 | 6 (86) | 14 (93) | NA | NA |
| Anemia | 22 | 3 (60) | 17 (100) | NA | NA |
a
Except where indicated (i.e., mean age), entries in the table indicate the number of dogs and the percentage of those tested that had the indicated characteristic or finding. *, P = 0.05 (chi-square analysis). NA, not available.
b
Defined as lameness, reluctance to move, walking with a stiff or stilted gait, or painful or swollen joints.