Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Wiley - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2006 Feb 10;45(12):613–617. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2004.tb00184.x

Clinical Hepatozoon canis infection in a dog in Turkey

H Voyvoda 1, S Pasa 1, A Uner 2
PMCID: PMC7166916  PMID: 15600273

Abstract

A five‐year‐old female dog was presented with a four‐week history of inappetence, weight loss, and skin and gait abnormalities. Physical examination revealed weakness, depression, incoordination of the posterior limbs, emaciation, skin and hair coat alterations, peripheral lymphadenopathy, pale mucous membranes and fever. Laboratory analysis of samples revealed abnormalities which included anaemia, neutrophilic leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, low serum glucose and albumin concentrations, and increased serum alkaline phosphatase activity. The diagnosis was confirmed microscopically, by demonstrating the presence of Hepatozoon canis gametocytes within neutrophils in Giemsa‐stained peripheral blood smears. Treatment consisting of toltrazuril and a trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole combination was effective in relieving the clinical signs and clearing the blood of H canis gametocytes. To the authors’knowledge, this is the first detailed clinical description of H canis infection in a dog in Turkey.

Reference

  1. Baneth, G. (2001) Canine hepatozoonosis In: Encyclopedia of Arthropod‐transmitted Infections of Man and Domesticated Animals. Ed Service M. W. CABI Publishing, Wallingford . pp 215–220. [Google Scholar]
  2. Baneth, G. , Harmelin, A. & Presentez, B. Z. (1995) Hepatozoon canis in two dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 206, 1891–1894. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baneth, G. , Mathew, J. S. , Shkap, V. , Macintire, D. K. , Barta, J. R. & Ewing, S. A. (2003) Canine hepatozoonosis: two disease syndromes caused by separate Hepatozoon species. Trends in Parasitology 19, 27–31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baneth, G. & Weigler, B. (1997) Retrospective case‐control study of hepatozoonosis in dogs in Israel. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 11, 365–370. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Barton, C. L. , Russo, E. A. , Craig, T. M. & Green, R. W. (1985) Canine hepatozoonosis: a retrospective study of 15 naturally occurring cases. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 21, 125–134. [Google Scholar]
  6. Beaufils, J. P. , Martin‐Granel, J. & Jumelle, P. (1996) Hepatozoonosis in dogs and foxes: epidemiology, clinical findings and treatment. Pratique Medicale and Chirurgicale de l'Animal de Compagnie 31, 243–253. [Google Scholar]
  7. Craig, T. M. (1990) Hepatozoonosis In: Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat. 2nd edn Ed Greene C. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia . pp 778–785. [Google Scholar]
  8. Elias, E. & Homans, P. A. (1988) Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs: clinical and haematological findings; treatment. Journal of Small Animal Practice 29, 55–62. [Google Scholar]
  9. Ezeokoli, C. D. , Ogunkoya, A. B. , Abdullahi, R. , Tekdek, L. B. , Sannusi, A. & Ilemobade, A. A. (1983) Clinical and epidemiological studies on canine hepatozoonosis in Zaire, Nigeria. Journal of Small Animal Practice 24, 445–460. [Google Scholar]
  10. Gaunt, S. D. (2000) Extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis In: Schalm's Veterinary Hematology. 5th edn Eds Feldman B. F., Zinkel J. G. and Jain N. C. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore . pp 347–349. [Google Scholar]
  11. Gondim, L. F. P. , Konayagawa, A. , Alencar, N. X. , Biondo, A. W. , Takahira, R. F. & Franco, S. R. V. (1998) Canine hepatozoonosis in Brazil: description of eight naturally occurring cases. Veterinary Parasitology 74, 319–323. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hoskins, J. D. (1991) Canine haemobartonellosis, canine hepatozoonosis, and feline cytauxzoonosis. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 21, 129–140. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kraft, W. & Durr, U. M. (1995) Klinische Labordiag‐nostikin derTiermedizin. 3rd edn Eds. Kraft W. and Durr U. M. Schattauer, Stuttgart . [Google Scholar]
  14. Krampitz, H. E. & Haberkorn, A. (1988) Experimental treatment of Hepatozoon infections with the anticoccidial agent toltrazuril. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series B 35, 131–137. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Macintire, D. K. , Vincent Johnson, N. , Dillon, A. R. , Blag‐Burn, B. , Lindsay, D. , Whitley, E. M. & Banfield, C. (1997) Hepatozoonosis in dogs: 22 cases (1989‐1994). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210, 916–922. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Meinkoth, J. H. & Clinkenbeard, K. D. (2000) Normal haematology of the dog In: Schalm's Veterinary Haematology. 5th edn Eds Feldman B. F., Zinkel J. G. and Jain N. C. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore . pp 1057–1063. [Google Scholar]
  17. Murata, T. , Inque, M. , Tateyama, S. , Taura, Y. & Nakama, S. (1993a) Vertical transmission of Hepatozoon canis in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 55, 867–868. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Murata, T. , Shimoda, K. , Inoue, M. , Shiramizu, K. , Kanoe, M. , Taura, Y. & Nakama, S. (1993b) Seasonal periodical appearance of Hepatozoon canis gamont in the peripheral blood. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 55, 877–879. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Nevzat, A. (1933) Bizde ilk defa görülen bik (Hepatozoon canis) vak'asi. Türk Baytarlar Cemiyeti Mecmuasi 3, 5. [Google Scholar]
  20. Panciera, R. J. , Gatto, N. T. , Crystal, M. A. , Helman, R. G. & Ely, R. W. (1997) Canine hepatozoonosis in Oklahoma. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 33, 221–225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Parra, M. O. C. & Arraga‐Alvarado, C. M. (1996) Canine hepatozoonosis in Venezuela. Clinical and laboratory findings. Revista Cientifica, Facultad de Ciencias Vet-erinarias Universidad del Zulia 6, 125–133. [Google Scholar]
  22. Rich, L.J. & Coles, E. H. (1995) Tables of abnormal values as a guide to disease syndromes In: Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 4th edn Eds Ettingerand S. J. Feldman E. C. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia , p 14. [Google Scholar]
  23. Shaw, S. E. , Day, M. J. , Birtles, R. J. & Breitschwerdt, E. B. (2001) Tick‐borne infectious diseases of dogs. Trends in Parasitology 17, 74–80. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Small Animal Practice are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES