Susan J. Tornquist, DVM, PhD, Dip ACVP
Oregon State University
Treatment of Alpaca Eperythrozoonosis - Cure or Carrier
Susan Tornquist, DVM, PhD - Oregon State University
The objective of this study was to use a recently developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for detection of Eperythrozoon in camelids to examine whether commonly used antibiotic treatment is effective in eliminating the organism or whether it contributes to the carrier state. We hypothesized that treatment of infected alpacas with tetracycline would result in clearance of detectable organisms on blood smears, but continuation of PCR-detectable, chronic infection that may recrudesce when immunosuppression occurs.
The results of the study demonstrated that parasitemia is not consistently cleared using a common antibiotic regime and that once infected, many alpacas may become chronic carriers. Normal, healthy alpacas appear to often clear the infection without antibiotic treatment. Finally, the PCR assay is clearly more sensistive than blood smear exam for diagnosis of camelid eperythrozoonosis.