First Case of Canine Infection with Hepatozoon canis (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) in the Republic of Korea.
10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.561
- Author:
Seung Joo KWON
1
;
Yoon Hee KIM
;
Hyun Hee OH
;
Ul Soo CHOI
Author Information
1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Iksan 54596, Korea. uschoi@jbnu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Hepatozoon canis;
hepatozoonosis;
dog;
Korea
- MeSH:
Animals;
Anorexia;
Child, Preschool;
Dehydration;
Depression;
Dogs;
Doxycycline;
Fever;
Humans;
Korea;
Male;
Neutrophils;
Pancytopenia;
Physical Examination;
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction;
Republic of Korea*
- From:The Korean Journal of Parasitology
2017;55(5):561-564
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
This report describes a dog infected with Hepatozoon canis, the first canine infection in the Republic of Korea. A 2-year-old intact male Maltese dog presented with anorexia and depression. Physical examinations revealed mild dehydration and hyperthermia (39.8°C), and blood analysis showed pancytopenia. Diff-Quik staining of blood smear specimens showed the presence of ellipsoidal shaped structures (gamonts of H. canis) within a small number of neutrophils. Real-time PCR analysis using whole blood confirmed infection by H. canis. The clinical condition of the dog improved after symptomatic treatment and administration of doxycycline. Although a molecular epidemiologic survey in Korea showed H. canis infection of dogs, to our knowledge this is the first report of a dog infection in Korea molecularly shown to be H. canis.
