title: Natural infection of the wild canid, Cerdocyon thous, with the piroplasmid Rangelia vitalii in Brazil.
abstract: Canine rangeliosis, caused by the piroplasmid protozoon Rangelia vitalii, is currently recognized as a reemerging disease that affects domestic dogs in Brazil. In the present study, piroplasmid infection was searched in wild canids (20 Cerdocyon thous and 4 Lycalopex gymnocercus) in Brazil. Molecular analysis, based on PCR and DNA sequencing of a portion of the 18S rRNA gene, revealed that 30% (6/20) C. thous were infected by R. vitalii. Blood and bone marrow samples from one of the R. vitalii-infected C. thous were inoculated into a domestic dog, which developed clinical rangeliosis that was confirmed by molecular tests. However, the C. thous donor showed no clinical, hematological or biochemical alterations, even though its R. vitalii infection status was confirmed for at least 80 days. These observations suggest that R. vitalii is not as highly pathogenic for C. thous as it is for domestic dogs. Phylogenetic analysis inferred by the 18S rRNA gene placed R. vitalii embedded in the clade 'Babesia sensu stricto', consisting of a number of species that represent truly the genus Babesia. It is proposed that the species R. vitalii should be transferred to the genus Babesia. The present study expands our knowledge on the natural history of R. vitalii, suggesting that it might have a natural cycle involving the wild canid C. thous. Further studies are needed to confirm that C. thous is a natural reservoir of R. vitalii in Brazil.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: João F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dall'Agnol
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Krawczak
authors.affiliation: Parque Zoológico Municipal "Quinzinho de Barros", Soarocaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandra T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Comerlato
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna C D
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Rossato
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Linck
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Vigilância em Saúde, Secretaria de Saúde, Prefeitura Municipal de Mogi das Cruzes, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo K O
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Sigahi
authors.affiliation: Parque Zoológico Municipal "Quinzinho de Barros", Soarocaba, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo H F
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sonne
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mitika K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gregori
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel B
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: João R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Veterinárias Desidério Finamor, Fundação Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Eldorado do Sul, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reck
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: labruna@usp.br.
authors.forename: Marcelo B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Labruna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D001938:Brazil; D046028:Canidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D010802:Phylogeny; D016792:Piroplasmida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Babesia; Brazil; Cerdocyon thous; Domestic dog; Piroplasm; Rangelia vitalii