Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Piroplasm parasites found in dogs in southeast Brazil
By Lemos, Tatiana Didonet et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2012·Departamento de Patologia e Clí, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection and molecular characterization of piroplasms species from naturally infected dogs in southeast Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Brazil were tested for blood parasites after showing signs of illness. Out of 103 dogs, seven were found to have Babesia, a type of parasite that can cause serious health issues. One dog was specifically identified with Babesia vogeli, while six others were confirmed to have Rangelia vitalii, a less common parasite. This study highlights the presence of these parasites in dogs in the Rio de Janeiro area, which could be important for pet owners to know about.
People also search for: dog blood parasite symptoms · Babesia treatment in dogs · Rangelia vitalii in dogs
Abstract
Rangelia vitalii is a protozoon described from dogs in the south and southeast regions of Brazil. It is phylogenetically related to Babesia spp. that infects dogs, but data on this enigmatic parasite is still limited. The aim of this work was to detect piroplasm species in dogs in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by 18S rRNA gene-based PCR assay, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analyses. Of 103 dogs examined, seven (6.8%) were positive for Babesia spp. by PCR. The amplified products were digested by restriction enzymes to differentiate the Babesia species, and one sample was identified as Babesia vogeli. The pattern observed for the other six amplification products did not match with pattern described for large Babesia infecting dogs. Sequencing analysis confirmed these six samples as R. vitalii, with high homologies (99-100%) with a sequence from south Brazil. This study confirms the presence of Babesia vogeli and Rangelia vitalii circulate in domestic dogs in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22832754/