Clinical features of hepatozoonosis in dogs and cats

Abstract

Canine and feline vector-borne diseases are emerging diseases caused by a multitude of worldwide distributed pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths) and transmitted by ectoparasites (ticks, fleas, sandflies and mosquitoes). They are important because of their increasing prevalence and distribution, great pathogenic potential in companion animals and the zoonotic potential of some of them. Among vector-borne diseases, hepatozoonosis is a neglected but emerging tick-borne disease of dogs and cats. It is caused by different protozoa species belonging to the genus Hepatozoon and is characterized by variable clinical pictures, from subclinical and subtle to potentially life-threatening signs. Data on the biology, epidemiology, clinical features and treatment of canine and feline hepatozoonosis are still limited and the disease is often overlooked in clinical settings. This article discusses the current literature on clinical aspects of canine and feline hepatozoonosis, to increase awareness of this disease.