The Canine Ehrlichiosis (Tropical Canine Pancytopenia) Epizootic in Vietnam and its Implications for the Veterinary Care of Military Working Dogs

Canine ehrlichiosis clearly had an operational impact on the Vietnam War. It was by no means the margin of victory or defeat, but the operational readiness of military working dog units was reduced by the disease. Although difficult to measure precisely, the impact of this disease was very significant, and is still being felt. Serologic screening of military working dogs has been periodically conducted since the end of the war, including serologic surveys of all military working dogs in fiscal years 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. Seropositive dogs are treated with oral tetracycline to eliminate infection. Implications for the future use of military working dogs are discussed, together with requirements for continued research in the field of canine ehrlichiosis.