title: Autochthonous Hepatozoon infection in hunting dogs and foxes from the Czech Republic.
abstract: Blood samples from 21 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 8 hunting dogs from the same locality in the Czech Republic were examined for presence of Hepatozoon canis/Hepatozoon sp. The dogs were selected based on their close contact with foxes during fox bolting and because they had not traveled into known endemic areas. Using diagnostic PCR amplifying partial 18S rDNA fragment, Hepatozoon DNA was detected in 20 red foxes (95 %) and 4 dogs (50 %). From 8 positive foxes and 2 positive dogs, we obtained nearly complete 18S rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences revealed very low variability. Buffy coat smears from positive dogs were prepared and examined. No Hepatozoon gamonts were found. This study provides the first report of autochthonous infection of H. canis/Hepatozoon in dogs and foxes from the Czech Republic. Our study indirectly demonstrates cross infection between red foxes and dogs and confirms autochthonous infection of Hepatozoon canis in dogs living in a geographic area well outside the range of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, which is so far the only known vector of H. canis in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic. bmitkova@pobox.sk.|CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic. bmitkova@pobox.sk.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mitková
authors.affiliation: CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic.|Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, 62100, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Kristýna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hrazdilová
authors.affiliation: Military Veterinary Institute, Army of the Czech Republic, Opavská 29, 748 01, Hlučín, Czech Republic.|Department of Meat Hygiene and Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Steinbauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania.
authors.forename: Andrei Daniel
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Mihalca
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic.|CEITEC VFU, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého 1946/1, 61242, Brno, Czech Republic.|Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branisovska 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Modrý
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000469:parasitology*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000469:parasitology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal
keywords: Autochthonous infection; Czech Republic; Dogs; Hepatozoon canis; Red foxes