Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Asymptomatic Hepatozoon canis infection found in Buenos Aires dogs
By Eiras, Diego Fernando et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2007·Laboratorio DIAP·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First molecular characterization of canine hepatozoonosis in Argentina: evaluation of asymptomatic Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs from Buenos Aires.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Six dogs from the same household in Buenos Aires tested positive for a tick-borne infection called Hepatozoon canis, but none showed any symptoms of illness. Over the course of a year, blood tests revealed fluctuating levels of the parasite, yet all dogs remained healthy with no severe health issues. This study marks the first detailed genetic analysis of Hepatozoon canis in Argentina, confirming that these dogs were infected without displaying any clinical signs.
People also search for: dog tick disease symptoms · Hepatozoon canis in dogs · asymptomatic dog infections · dog blood test results · Buenos Aires dog health issues
Abstract
Canine hepatozoonosis is an expanding tick-borne disease in Argentina. Hepatozoonosis was studied during 1 year in six dogs from the same household in Buenos Aires. Blood parasitemia with Hepatozoon gamonts was found in five dogs and all six were positive by PCR for Hepatozoon sp. Although the levels of parasitemia fluctuated during the year, no clinical signs of disease were detected during the follow up period. Amplification and sequencing of a 650 bases fragment of the 18S rRNA gene from all six dogs yielded fragments that were 99% identical to H. canis. The results of the partial 18S rRNA genotyping with the sub-clinical course of infection and lack of severe hematological abnormalities are compatible with clinical and molecular descriptions of Hepatozoon canis infection from other areas of the world. This is the first molecular characterization of Hepatozoon from Argentina.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17720320/