Molecular analysis reveals the diversity of Hepatozoon species naturally infecting domestic dogs in a northern region of Brazil.
This study aimed to optimize molecular methods for detecting DNA of Hepatozoon spp. as well as identify the phylogenetic relationships of Hepatozoon strains naturally infecting domestic dogs in Belém, Pará, northern Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 138 dogs, and screened for Hepatozoon spp. using a new nested PCR assay. Positive samples were subjected to genetic characterization based on amplification and sequencing of approximately 670bp of the Hepatozoon spp. 18S rRNA. Of the positive dogs, four shared the haplotype Belém 01, one dog presented the haplotype Belém 02 and two dogs shared the haplotype Belém 03. A Bayesian inference indicates that haplotypes Belém 01 and Belém 02 are phylogenetically related to H. canis, while Belém 03 is related to H. americanum. Overall, based on the first molecular evidence of H. americanum in Brazilian domestic dogs, the proposed protocol may improve the epidemiological investigation of canine hepatozoonosis.
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil. Electronic address: laiseagomes@gmail.com.
Laise de Azevedo
LA
Gomes
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Pablo Henrique Gonçalves
PH
Moraes
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Luciana de Cássia Silva
LC
do Nascimento
Instituto de Biociências, UNESP-Universidade Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Departamento de Parasitologia, Distrito de Ribeirão Junior, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
Lucia Helena
LH
O'Dwyer
Centro de Inovações Tecnológicas, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Levilândia, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil.
Márcio Roberto Teixeira
MR
Nunes
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Adriana Dos Reis Ponce
AD
Rossi
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil.
Délia Cristina Figueira
DC
Aguiar
Laboratório de Tecnologia Biomolecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará-UFPA, Belém, PA, Brazil; Centro de Inovações Tecnológicas, Instituto Evandro Chagas, Levilândia, Ananindeua, PA, Brazil. Electronic address: ecostag@ufpa.br.
Evonnildo Costa
EC
Gonçalves
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003044:Coccidia / Q000235:genetics*; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
Canine hepatozoonosis; Hepatozoon americanum; Hepatozoon canis; Molecular epidemiology; Nested PCR