Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How PCR blood test detects Hepatozoon infection in dogs
By Li, Yihang et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2008·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Diagnosis of canine Hepatozoon spp. infection by quantitative PCR.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with suspected hepatozoonosis (a disease caused by parasites called Hepatozoon) was tested using a new blood test that detects the DNA of these parasites. Traditional methods required invasive muscle biopsies, which could miss infections. The new test, which uses a technique called quantitative PCR, was able to identify the parasites in the blood with high accuracy. In a study of 614 blood samples from dogs in the southeastern United States, the test found that about 27% had H. americanum, while a smaller number had H. canis. This new method could help vets diagnose and treat this disease more effectively.
People also search for: dog hepatozoonosis symptoms · canine blood test for Hepatozoon · treatment for dog Hepatozoon infection
Abstract
Hepatozoon (H.) americanum and H. canis are the etiological agents of canine hepatozoonosis, a disease that is found worldwide and is also prevalent in the southeastern United States. Current laboratory diagnosis of canine hepatozoonosis caused by H. americanum is usually dependent on visual identification of Hepatozoon "onion skin cysts" in muscle biopsies, an approach that requires invasive sampling and can result in false negatives. We have developed a diagnostic method for detection of Hepatozoon spp. DNA that integrates nucleic acid extraction with extensive agitation to maximize DNA extraction efficiency. The DNA extracted from canine EDTA-whole blood is subjected to real-time PCR, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) probes detect a signature polymorphism in the amplified DNA. This PCR method amplifies a fragment of the Hepatozoon 18S rDNA gene, detects as few as 7 genomic copies of Hepatozoon spp. per ml of blood with high specificity, and differentiates between H. americanum and H. canis amplicons. A surprising 300-fold increase of H. americanum 18S rDNA targets occurred during 3-0 days of storage of positive blood specimens. Examination of 614 EDTA-blood samples submitted mostly from the southeastern Unites States from dogs with suspected hepatozoonosis identified H. americanum in 167 samples (27.2%). An additional 14 samples (2.3%) were positive for H. canis, and 14 samples (2.3%) were positive for both H. americanum and H. canis. These results suggest that the Hepatozoon spp. 18S rDNA quantitative PCR may be a valuable tool that can improve diagnosis and therapy of canine hepatozoonosis.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18774228/