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Health notice for pet owners

We have just been informed of a tick disease previously unknown in the Bahamas called EHRLICHIA EWINGII. This has been diagnosed by a leading US laboratory after extensive tests. It was caught here in Sandyport as the dog had not been out of the community during the incubation period.

Current standard tests by Bahamian vets do not cover this tick disease and the animal will get a clear test when it is, in fact, infected. It is most important that any animal showing tick disease symptoms should also be tested for EHRLICHIA EWINGII if the standard tests show negative. Currently, a local vet will not think there is any need to test for this disease.

Thank you to Tim R. for bringing awareness of this matter to the community.

 

4 replies on “Health notice for pet owners”

Please read the post carefully. You do not seem to appreciate that it refers to the EWINGII strain, which is NOT one of the 4 strains covered by the standard test which can, therefore, present a false clear reading. This has been confirmed both by a well known and substantial local vet practice and one of the USA’s primary animal disease testing laboratories. It will be included in a paper to be presented to an international veterinary forum to take place in Nassau later this year. Our dog has responded to treatment and is well on the way to a full recovery with, we are advised, no ongoing effects. Which of these views you chose to accept is, of course, up to you.

Please note that Ehrlichia is the generic name for tick diseases. The information relates to the particular strain EWINGII, which is not covered by the standard tests.

Ehrlichia is a well known tick disease here in the Bahamas . Vets DO test for it on request .
There is treatment for the symptoms but the virus can never be eliminated completely – most dogs can go onto live a long and healthy life .
A false reading may occur if the disease is newly caught by the dog .

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