title: Retrospective molecular study on canine hepatozoonosis in Slovakia - Does infection risk for dogs really exist?
abstract: This study provides the very first evidence of Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs from Slovakia, a Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato free area. In total, 297 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 293 dogs, from three regions of Slovakia, were screened for the presence of H. canis using a conventional 18S rRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genomic DNA of this blood parasite was detected in 51 (17.1%) foxes from all sampling regions in Slovakia, whereas the overall prevalence in examined dogs was significantly lower, only 1.0%. Identity between nucleotide sequences from Slovak foxes and dogs ranged from 97.3 to 100%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that H. canis isolates from Slovakia are divided into two clusters, suggesting the coexistence of strain variants with unknown pathogenicity which needs to be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia. Electronic address: miterpak@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miterpáková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia. Electronic address: komjati-nagyova@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komjáti-Nagyová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia. Electronic address: hurnikz@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Zuzana
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hurníková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia. Electronic address: vichova@saske.sk.
authors.forename: Bronislava
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Víchová
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA / Q000662:veterinary; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
keywords: Dogs; Europe; Hepatozoon canis; PCR; Red foxes; Slovakia