Hemolytic anemia, spherocytosis, and thrombocytopenia associated with honey bee envenomation in a dog

This case report describes a massive honey bee envenomation in a 14‐month‐old male Belgian Malinois dog from St. Kitts, West Indies. Acute and delayed onsets of hemolytic anemia, echinocytosis, spherocytosis, thrombocytopenia, hemoglobinemia, and hemoglobinuria developed following envenomation. The...

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Published inVeterinary clinical pathology Vol. 48; no. 4; pp. 620 - 623
Main Authors Nair, Rajeev, Riddle, Emily A., Thrall, Mary Anna
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.12.2019
Subjects
Anemia
Apis mellifera
bee venom
Bees
Erythrocytes
Glucocorticoids
Hemoglobin
Hemolysis
Hemolytic anemia
Hydrolase
melittin
Membrane proteins
Mitochondria
Phospholipase
Phospholipase A2
Spectrin
Spherocytosis
Stiffening
Thrombocytopenia
Toxicity
Venom
melittin
phospholipase A2
bee venom
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Summary:This case report describes a massive honey bee envenomation in a 14‐month‐old male Belgian Malinois dog from St. Kitts, West Indies. Acute and delayed onsets of hemolytic anemia, echinocytosis, spherocytosis, thrombocytopenia, hemoglobinemia, and hemoglobinuria developed following envenomation. The dog recovered after treatment with glucocorticoids and supportive therapy. Spherocytosis, hemolysis, and thrombocytopenia in patients with massive bee envenomation are likely due to the direct toxic effects of the primary components of bee venom, melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Mellitin causes hemolysis by forming large pores in erythrocytes resulting in leakage of hemoglobin and also causes spectrin stiffening and resultant echinocyte and spherocyte formation. Melittin also stimulates PLA2, a hydrolase that causes echinocytosis and spherocytosis, in vivo and in vitro, and mitochondrial breakdown in platelets. However, delayed manifestations could be attributed to immune‐mediated mechanisms from the generation of antibodies against damaged erythrocytes and platelet membrane proteins.
ISSN:0275-6382
1939-165X
DOI:10.1111/vcp.12747