Prevalence of Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs from the area of Lublin Voivodship

Abstract

Canine hepatozoonosis is a tick-borne protozoal disease. Two species of Hepatozoon may infect dogs: Hepatozoon americanum and H. canis. The aim of the paper was to attempt to detect the genetic material of H. canis in blood samples collected from dogs suspected to suffer from tick-borne diseases. 107 samples were tested with the use of the real-time PCR technique (Vcheck M Bionote analyser), of which 99 were collected from dogs which never left Polish territory (group 1) and 8 from dogs which spent the holidays with their owners in Turkey (group 2). DNA of H. canis was detected in 1 dog in group 1 (with Ixodes ricinus infestation), and in 2 dogs in group 2 (with Ripicephalus sanguineus infestation). The results obtained indicate that infections with H. canis should be taken into account and included in the differential diagnosis of vector-borne diseases in dogs in Poland, and the accurate identification of the infection agent is crucial for developing the correct treatment regimen and prognosis.