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Two new Babesia cases in Romford
Babesiosis is transmitted to dogs by infected ticks and symptoms include fever, jaundice and a lack of appetite.
Dogs had no history of foreign travel or links with Harlow

Two new cases of Babesia have been confirmed in dogs from Romford, Essex. The dogs had no history of foreign travel and no known connection with the Babesia cases in Harlow earlier this year.

An 11-year-old Labrador was brought to the Best Friends Veterinary Group in Romford as an emergency, but was dead on arrival. When asked about ticks, the owner reported finding two on the dog a fortnight previously. Testing revealed Babesia gibsoni.

In the second case, a male Labrador named Ben was brought to the surgery after his owner had found and attempted to remove two ticks from his body.

Veterinary surgeon Alina Ancuta said Ben presented with a fever and lethargy but had a good appetite and was drinking normally. She discussed the possibility of Babesia with the owner but as the incubation period is 12-14 days after a tick bite, any tests would come back negative.

After 12 days Ben returned to the practice with high fever, lethargy, pink gums and capillary refill time of less than two seconds. Blood tests revealed anaemia and infection, and a blood smear was positive for Babesia.

Treatment with fluids and Clyndamicin was commenced immediately, followed by Imizol, which was received after three days. Blood smears were repeated every three days but after one week the dog had not shown any improvement and was referred to the RVC's Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, where he has made a full recovery.

Earlier this year, a cluster of babesiosis cases in dogs with no history of foreign travel were traced to a popular dog walking area in Harlow, where a survey confirmed the presence of an infected population of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks. The two new cases have renewed concerns about the disease, as they occurred around 20 miles away from the original site in Harlow.

Babesiosis is transmitted to dogs by infected ticks and symptoms include fever, jaundice and a lack of appetite.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) issued a statement in May owing to concerns about the availability of treatments for babesiosis.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.