title: Molecular detection of Theileria annae and Hepatozoon canis in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Croatia.
abstract: An epizootiological field study on tick-borne protozoan infections in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) was carried out in different parts of Croatia. Spleen samples of 191 carcasses of red foxes killed in sanitary hunting, were examined for the presence of hematozoa by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequent sequencing. The investigation revealed four species of hematozoa in 57 foxes (30%), namely Theileria annae, Theileria sp. 3182/05 and Hepatozoon canis. T. annae was found in 10 foxes (5%), Theileria sp. 3182/05 in a single animal (1%), H. canis in 44 (23%) and Hepatozoon sp. was detected in two foxes (1%). T. annae and H. canis were distributed through all the studied regions, while Theileria sp. 3182/05 and Hepatozoon sp. were restricted to the Zagreb and Zagorje, and Istria regions, respectively. Detection of T. annae in all regions of Croatia indicates the presence of the natural cycle of the parasite and raises the possibility of other vectors other than the proposed Ixodes hexagonus.
authors.affiliation: Croatian Veterinary Institute, Department for Pathology, Savska cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Danko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dezdek
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vojta
authors.forename: Snjezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Curković
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lipej
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mihaljević
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cvetnić
authors.forename: Relja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D017523:Croatia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013154:Spleen / Q000469:parasitology; D016794:Theileria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S