title: Occurrence of Hepatozoon canis and Cercopithifilaria bainae in an off-host population of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks.
abstract: Hepatozoon canis (Eucoccidiorida, Hepatozoidae) and the filarioid Cercopithifilaria bainae (Spirurida, Onchocercidae) are tick-transmitted infectious agents of dogs, highly prevalent in the Mediterranean basin in association with Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. Ticks were collected from the environment every 25±2 days in a confined location in southern Italy where a community of dogs lives, from August 2012 to July 2013. In order to study the occurrence of H. canis and C. bainae, 1091 tick specimens (770 adults; 271 nymphs, and 50 larvae) were dissected, and oocysts of H. canis and larvae of C. bainae were morphologically identified. Out of 1091 dissected ticks, 13.47% (n=147) were positive for H. canis, with the highest prevalence recorded in unfed adults (16.4%; 126/770), followed by nymphs collected as larvae and allowed to moult (14%; 7/50), unfed nymphs dissected immediately after collection (3%; 8/271), and adults collected as nymphs and allowed to moult (2%; 6/271). The highest number of H. canis-positive ticks (35.5%; 43/121; P<0.05) was recorded during the summer months (i.e., June-July). In addition, 6% of adult ticks (n=66) were positive for third-stage larvae of C. bainae, with the highest number in June (17%; 14/84; P<0.05). Based on the results reported herein, H. canis and C. bainae infections in the study area seem to be dependent on the seasonality of vector tick populations. Hence, dogs living in these areas are more exposed to both pathogens during the warmer months. These findings provide new insights into the ecology of both H. canis and C. bainae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Rafael Antonio Nascimento
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University, Rehovot, Israel.
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baneth
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy; Department of Immunology, Centro de Pesquisas Aggeu Magalhães (Fiocruz-PE), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dantas-Torres
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. Electronic address: domenico.otranto@uniba.it.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otranto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005370:Filarioidea / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007814:Larva; D009758:Nymph; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000145:classification* / Q000469:parasitology; D012621:Seasons; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Canine vector-borne disease; Cercopithifilaria bainae; Hepatozoon canis; Occurrence; Rhipicephalus sanguineus