Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T08:32:29.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

American canine hepatozoonosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

R. J. Panciera*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
S. A. Ewing
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA
*

Abstract

American canine hepatozoonosis is an emerging, tick-transmitted infection of domestic dogs caused by a recently recognized species of apicomplexan parasite, Hepatozoon americanum. The known definitive host of the protozoan is the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum. Presently recognized intermediate hosts include the domestic dog and the coyote, Canis latrans. Laboratory-reared larval or nymphal A. maculatum can be infected readily by feeding to repletion on a parasitemic intermediate host; sporogony requires 35–40 days. Transmission of infection to the dog has been produced experimentally by oral administration of mature oocysts or oocyst-containing ticks. Canine disease follows experimental exposure in 4–6 weeks and is characterized by systemic illness, extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis, muscle and bone pain, and proliferation of periosteal bone. Histopathological findings include multifocal skeletal and cardiac myositis associated with escape of mature merozoites from within the host-cell environment. There is also rapid onset of periosteal activation and osteogenesis and, less frequently, glomerulopathy and amyloidosis. Sequential stages of development of H. americanum in both the dog and the tick have been elucidated. Gamonts potentially infectious to ticks have been observed in peripheral blood leukocytes of the dog in as few as 28 days after exposure to oocysts. Young coyotes experimentally exposed to a canine strain of H. americanum acquired disease indistinguishable from that of similarly exposed young dogs.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © CAB International 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baneth, G&Weigler, B (1997) Retrospective case–control study of hepatozoonosis in dogs in Israel. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 11: 365370.Google Scholar
Baneth, G, Barta, JR, Shkap, V, Martin, DS, Macintire, DK&Vincent-Johnson, N (2000) Genetic and antigenic evidence supports the separation of Hepatozoon canis and Hepatozoon americanum at the species level. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 38: 12981301.Google Scholar
Barton, CL, Russo, EA, Craig, TM&Green, RW (1985) Canine hepatozoonosis: a retrospective study of 15 naturally occurring cases. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 21: 125134.Google Scholar
Bentley, CA (1905) Preliminary note upon a leucocytozoon of the dog. British Medical Journalmay 6: pp 9881018.Google Scholar
Christophers, SR (1907) The sexual cycle of Leukocytozoon canis in the tick. Scientific Memoirs, Officers Medical and Sanitary Department, Government of India 28: pp 111.Google Scholar
Craig, TM (1998) Hepatozoonosis. In: Greene, CE (editor). In Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat. 2nd edn. Philadelphia:W.B. Saunders, pp 458465.Google Scholar
Craig, TM, Smallwood, JE, Knauer, KW&McGrath, JP (1978) Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs: clinical, radiographic and hematological findings. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 173: 967972.Google Scholar
Craig, TM, Jones, LP&Nordgren, RM (1984) Diagnosis of Hepatozoon canis by muscle biopsy. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 20: 301303.Google Scholar
Cummings, CA (2001). A morphologic and immunologic study of American canine hepatozoonosis. PhD thesis, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma.Google Scholar
Davis, DS, Robinson, RM&Craig, TM (1978) Naturally occurring hepatozoonosis in a coyote. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 14: 244246.Google Scholar
Droleskey, RE, Mercer, SH, DeLoach, JR&Craig, TM (1993) Ultrastructure of Hepatozoon canis in the dog. Veterinary Parasitology 50: 8399.Google Scholar
Drost, WT, Cummings, CA, Mathew, JS, Panciera, RJ&Ko, JCH (2003) Scintigraphic distribution of bone lesions in dogs experimentally infected with Hepatozoon americanum. Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound 44: pp 8691.Google Scholar
Ewing, SA, Panciera, RJ, Mathew, JS, Cummings, CA&Kocan, AA (2000) American canine hepatozoonosis: an emerging disease in the New World. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 916: 8192.Google Scholar
Ewing, SA, DuBois, JG, Mathew, JS&Panciera, RJ (2002) Larval Gulf Coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum) [Acari: Ixodidae] as host for Hepatozoon americanum [Apicomplexa: Adeleorina]. Veterinary Parasitology 103: 4351.Google Scholar
Ewing, SA, Mathew, JS&Panciera, RJ (2002) Transmission of Hepatozoon americanum (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) by ixodids (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology 39: 631634.Google Scholar
Ewing, SA, Panciera, RJ&Mathew, JS (2003) Persistence of Hepatozoon americanum [Apicomplexa: Adeleorina] in a naturally infected dog. Journal of Parasitology. In press.Google Scholar
Gaunt, PS, Gaunt, SD&Craig, TM (1983) Extreme neutrophilic leukocytosis in a dog with hepatozoonosis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 192: 409410.Google Scholar
Gosset, KA, Gaunt, SD&Aja, DS (1985) Hepatozoonosis and ehrlichiosis in a dog. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 21: 265267.Google Scholar
Inokuma, H, Okuda, M, Ohno, K, Shimoda, K&Onishi, T (2002) Analysis of the 18S rRNA gene sequence of a Hepatozoon detected in two Japanese dogs. Veterinary Parasitology 106: 265271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, SP (1905) On a parasite found in the white corpuscles of the blood of dogs. Scientific Memoirs, Officers Medical and Sanitary Department, Government of India 14: pp 112.Google Scholar
Kocan, AA, Breshears, M, Panciera, RJ, Ewing, SA&Barker, RW (1999) Naturally occurring hepatozoonosis in coyotes from Oklahoma. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 35: 8689.Google Scholar
Kocan, AA, Cummings, CA, Panciera, RJ, Mathew, JS, Ewing, SA&Barker, RW (2000) Naturally occurring and experimentally transmitted Hepatozoon americanum in coyotes from Oklahoma. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 36: 149153.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindsay, DS, Butler,, JM&Blagburn, BL (1997) Efficacy of decoquinate against Neospora caninum tachyzoites in cell cultures. Veterinary Parasitology 68: 3540.Google Scholar
Macintire, DK, Vincent-Johnson, N, Dillon, AR, Blagburn, B, Lindsay, DL, Whitley, EM&Banfield, C (1997) Hepatozoonosis in dogs: 22 cases (1989–1994). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210: pp 916922.Google Scholar
Macintire, DK, Vincent-Johnson, NA, Kane, CW, Lindsay, DS, Blagburn,, BL&Dillon, AR (2001) Treatment of dogs infected with Hepatozoon americanum: 53 cases (1989–1998). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 218: 7782.Google Scholar
Mathew, JS, Ewing, SA, Panciera, RJ&Woods, JP (1998) Experimental transmission of Hepatozoon americanum Vincent-Johnson et al., 1997 to dogs by the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch. Veterinary Parasitology 80: 114.Google Scholar
Mathew, JS, Ewing, SA, Panciera, RJ&Kocan, KM (1999) Sporogonic development of Hepatozoon americanum (Apicomplexa) in its definitive host, Amblyomma maculatum (Acarina). Journal of Parasitology 85: 10231031.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mathew, JS, Van Den Bussche, RA, Ewing, SA, Malayer, JR, Latha, BR&Panciera, RJ (2000) Phylogenetic relationships of Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) based on molecular, morphologic, and life cycle characters. Journal of Parasitology 86: 366372.Google Scholar
Mathew, JS, Saliki, JT, Ewing, SA, Lehenbauer, TW, Panciera, RJ, Malayer, JR, Cummings, CA&Kocan, AA (2001) An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for diagnosis of American canine hepatozoonosis. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation 13: 1721.Google Scholar
McCully, RM, Basson, PA, Bigalke, RD, DeVos, V&Young, E (1975) Observations on naturally acquired hepatozoonosis of wild carnivores and dogs in the Republic of South Africa. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Science 42: 117134.Google ScholarPubMed
Mercer, SH&Craig, TM (1988) Comparison of various staining procedures in the identification of Hepatozoon canis gamonts. Veterinary Clinical Pathology 17: 6365.Google Scholar
Mercer, SH, Jones, LP, Rappole, JH, Twedt, D, Laack, LL&Craig, TM (1988) Hepatozoon sp. in wild carnivores in Texas. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 24: 574576.Google Scholar
Murata, T, Inoue, M, Taura, Y, Nakama, S, Abe, H&Fujisaki, K (1995) Detection of Hepatozoon canis oocysts from ticks collected from the infected dogs. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 57: 111112.Google Scholar
Nordgren, RM&Craig, TM (1984) Experimental transmission of the Texas strain of Hepatozoon canis. Veterinary Parasitology 16: 207214.Google Scholar
O'Dwyer, LH, Massard, CL&Pereira de Souza, JC (2001) Hepatozoon canis infection associated with dog ticks of rural areas of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Veterinary Parasitology 94: 143150.Google Scholar
Panciera, RJ, Gatto, NT, Crystal, MA, Helman, RG&Ely, RW (1997) Canine hepatozoonosis in Oklahoma. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 33: 221225.Google Scholar
Panciera, RJ, Ewing, SA, Cummings, CA, Kocan, AA, Breshears, MA&Fox, JC (1998) Observations on tissue stages of Hepatozoon americanum in 19 naturally infected dogs. Veterinary Parasitology 78: 265276.Google Scholar
Panciera, RJ, Ewing, SA, Mathew, JS, Lehenbauer, TW, Cummings, CA&Woods, JP (1999) Canine hepatozoonosis: comparison of lesions and parasites in skeletal muscle of dogs experimentally or naturally infected with Hepatozoon americanum. Veterinary Parasitology 82: 261272.Google Scholar
Panciera, RJ, Mathew, JS, Ewing, SA, Cummmings, CA, Drost, WT&Kocan, AA (2000) Skeletal lesions of canine hepatozoonosis caused by Hepatozoon americanum. Veterinary Pathology 37: 225230.Google Scholar
Panciera, RJ, Mathew, JS, Cummings, CA, Duffy, JC, Ewing, SA&Kocan, AA (2001) Comparison of tissue stages of Hepatozoon americanum in the dog using immunohistochemical and routine histologic methods. Veterinary Pathology 38: 422426.Google Scholar
Smith, TG (1996) The genus Hepatozoon (Apicomplexa: Adeleina). Journal of Parasitology 82: 565585.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vincent-Johnson, NA, MacIntire, DK, Lindsay, DS, Lenz, SD, Baneth, G, Shkap, V&Blagburn, BL (1997) A new Hepatozoon species from dogs: description of the causative agent of canine hepatozoonosis in North America. Journal of Parasitology 83: 11651172.Google Scholar
Vincent-Johnson, NA, MacIntire, DK&Baneth, G (1997) Canine hepatozoonosis: pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian 19: 5165.Google Scholar
Wenyon, CM (1926). Protozoology: a manual for medical men, veterinarians and zoologists, Volume 1. p. 1085. London: Balliere, Tyndall and Cassel.CrossRefGoogle Scholar