Analytical Evaluation of Serum Oxidative Stress Biomarkers as Predictors of Clinical Outcomes in Naturally Occurring Canine Babesiosis in Lagos State, South West Nigeria

Babesiosis caused by Babesia canis is a protozoan tick-borne disease associated with haemolytic anaemia and systemic inflammation in dogs. While oxidative stress has been proposed as a pathogenic mechanism, its predictive relationship to clinical outcomes in Nigerian canine populations has not been systematically analysed. This study investigated serum oxidative stress biomarkers including malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity as predictors of clinical outcomes in dogs with naturally occurring babesiosis at veterinary clinics in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Seventy dogs with PCR-confirmed Babesia canis infection and thirty healthy controls were enrolled. Biomarkers were measured at presentation and at seventy-two hours and seven days post-treatment with imidocarb dipropionate. Clinical outcomes were classified as recovery, deterioration, or death at day fourteen. Dogs that died had significantly higher malondialdehyde and lower superoxide dismutase at presentation compared to recovered animals. Receiver operating characteristic analysis identified a malondialdehyde threshold of above 18 nmol/mL as predictive of death with 82% sensitivity and 74% specificity. Total antioxidant capacity at day seven showed the strongest correlation with clinical recovery. These findings fill a critical analytical gap by establishing the prognostic significance of oxidative biomarkers in canine babesiosis in Nigeria and support their integration into clinical decision-making frameworks at Lagos veterinary facilities. Keywords: canine babesiosis, oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, prognosis, Lagos.