Molecular Survey of Hepatozoon canis Infection in Domestic Dogs from Sardinia, Italy

Abstract

Tick-borne protozoans of the genus Hepatozoon have been associated with infections of domestic and wild animals over the world. The occurrence of these apicomplexan agents in Sardinia has been poorly explored so far. In this study, the occurrence of Hepatozoon spp. has been investigated in domestic dogs from nine cities of Sardinia, Italy. Blood samples from each dog were collected and tested molecularly for the presence of Hepatozoon and Babesia/Theileria DNAs. Out of fifty-one dogs, nine were positive for Hepatozoon species based on the molecular detection of the parasite in blood samples. The phylogenetic relationships of strains detected here were also established. The PCR for amplification of the 18S rRNA fragment gene of Babesia/Theileria spp. did not give amplicons in any of the analyzed samples. Our results report the first molecular confirmation of Hepatozoon canis in Sardinian pet dogs and contribute to better understand the presence of these protozoans on the island. This study highlights the importance of recognizing and predicting the risk levels for the canine population, thus increasing the development of specific control measures. Also, since the distribution of hepatozoonosis is closely related to that of the definitive tick host, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, more accurate studies on Rhipicephalus ticks will be needed due to increasing the epidemiological knowledge of Hepatozoon species on the island.