title: Identification of Hepatozoon erhardovae Krampitz, 1964 from bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and fleas in Southern Hungary.
abstract: In order to investigate the prevalence and life cycle of apicomplexan parasites, small mammals were live-trapped with modified Sherman traps in Southern Hungary between 2010 and 2012. Altogether, 528 rodents (Apodemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834, Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771, Myodes glareolus Schreber, 1780, Microtus agrestis Linnaeus, 1761, Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758 and Micromys minutus Pallas, 1771) were collected and four shrews (Sorex spp.) were by-catched. Captured animals belonging to non-protected species were euthanized, and spleen samples were preserved for histological and molecular analyses. During the examination of spleen smears, Hepatozoon parasites were observed in eight out of 48 bank voles (M. glareolus). DNA was isolated from altogether 221 spleen samples, and 18S rDNA was amplified using two different PCR protocols. The eight bank vole samples were positive with PCR, but none of the other M. glareolus spleen samples or any of the tissue samples from other species were found to be infected. Sequenced amplicons were very similar to Hepatozoon spp. detected in M. glareolus in Spain and Poland. Ectoparasites were collected from the small mammal carcasses and from the vegetation. Hepatozoon DNA was not found in the 181 ticks removed from the small mammals or in the 162 ticks collected with flagging, but was detected in all three flea species (4/43 Megabothris turbidus Rothschild, 1909, 3/10 Ctenophthalmus assimilis Taschenberg, 1880 and 7/78 Ctenophthalmus agyrtes Heller, 1896). Based on gamont morphology, vertebrate and arthropod host species and DNA sequences, the parasites in our study can be identified as Hepatozoon erhardovae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Str. H-1078, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rigó
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Str. H-1078, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Majoros
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Str. H-1078, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szekeres
authors.affiliation: Hungarian Department of Biology and Geology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor Str., Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Imola
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.affiliation: Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Lóránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Mónika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jablonszky
authors.affiliation: Parasitological Institute SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Viktória
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Majláthová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Ecology, University of P.J. Šafárik, Šrobárova 2, 041 80, Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Majláth
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, 2 István Str. H-1078, Budapest, Hungary. FoldvariGabor@gmx.de.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Földvári
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000469:parasitology*; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058267:Flea Infestations; D006814:Hungary; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012788:Shrews / Q000469:parasitology*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Bank vole; Flea; Hepatozoon erhardovae; Hungary; Myodes glareolus; Rodent