Hematological, clinical and epidemiological aspects of Hepatozoon canis infection by parasitological detection in dogs from the rural area of Sousa, Paraíba, Brazil

Leonardo Vinícius Silva de Oliveira,Thais Ferreira Feitosa,Felipe Boniedj Ventura Álvares,Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil,Radabley Rith Almeida de Oliveira,Émerson Timóteo de Alcântara,Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela

doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20200233

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Hepatozoonosis is caused by protozoa of the genus Hepatozoon. In dogs, the infection is caused mainly by Hepatozoon canis, and there are a few descriptions of the prevalence of this infection in the Northeast region of Brazil, especially in the semi-arid region. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs in the rural area of Sousa, Paraíba, Brazil, as well as to determine the possible clinical and epidemiological aspects of this infection. Ninety-eight dogs in the rural zone of the municipality of Sousa that were at least 4 months old were evaluated, regardless of their breed or gender. Clinical examinations were carried out, and samples of systemic and peripheral blood were collected to determine the presence of the parasite in blood smears and carry out hemograms. In addition, epidemiological questionnaires about animal health and food management were completed. The prevalence of H. canis infections in dogs was 8.1% (8/98). There were three main changes in the hematological status: thrombocytopenia, anemia and hyperproteinemia, mainly related to percentage of leukocyte infection ≥5%, and also to the presence of clinical signs such as mucopurulent secretion, lymphadenomegaly, dry skin, pale mucous membranes, and lean or cachectic body score.

Highlights

IntroductionThe hepatozoonosis is a debilitating and an immunosuppressive disease with a difficult clinical diagnosis and its infection have been described in amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals (O’DWYER, 2011)
The hepatozoonosis is a debilitating and an immunosuppressive disease with a difficult clinical diagnosis and its infection have been described in amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals (O’DWYER, 2011).Hepatozoon americanum has been described to be parasites of wild canids (SILVEIRA et al, 2016), only Hepatozoon canis has been detected in Brazilian domestic dogs (MUNDIM et al, 2008; ANDRÉ et al, 2010; GONÇALVES et al, 2014; RAMOS et al, 2015; LOPES et al, 2019)
Amblyomma ovale and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus have been reported to be the main vectors of H. canis (MIRANDA et al, 2011), which is transmitted to the dog at the time of ingestion of Received 03.15.20

Summary

Introduction

The hepatozoonosis is a debilitating and an immunosuppressive disease with a difficult clinical diagnosis and its infection have been described in amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals (O’DWYER, 2011). Hepatozoon americanum has been described to be parasites of wild canids (SILVEIRA et al, 2016), only Hepatozoon canis has been detected in Brazilian domestic dogs (MUNDIM et al, 2008; ANDRÉ et al, 2010; GONÇALVES et al, 2014; RAMOS et al, 2015; LOPES et al, 2019). Intermittent fever, weight loss, pale mucous membranes, pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and gait abnormalities (BERNARDINO et al, 2016). Because these clinical findings are nonspecific, laboratory tests are needed for confirmation (O’DWYER, 2011)

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