Vet Parasitol. 2008 Oct 11; [Epub ahead of print]

Hemoprotozoa of domestic animals in France: Prevalence and molecular
characterization.

Criado-Fornelio A, Buling A, Pingret JL, Etievant M, Boucraut-Baralon C, Alongi
A, Agnone A, Torina A.

Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of
Pharmacy, University of Alcala, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Spain.

Very limited information is available on epizootiology of haematozoan infections
in French domestic animals. In an attempt to address this issue, prevalence of
piroplasmida was studied in carnivores and ruminants, whereas prevalence of
Hepatozoon spp. was only investigated in carnivores. In total, 383 animals were
included in the survey (namely 116 cats, 108 dogs, 91 sheep and 68 cows).
Parasite diagnosis was carried out using molecular methods such as PCR and
sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. In addition, ruminant samples were analyzed
with the reverse line blotting technique (RLB). Results of RLB and PCR plus
sequencing were in total agreement. In carnivores, haematozoan prevalence was
close to 1%. Two cats were infected by H. canis (1.7% prevalence) and one of
them was co-infected by Cytauxzoon sp. (0.8%). This represents the first finding
of both pathogens in French cats. One dog was infected by H. canis (0.9%) and
another by Babesia canis vogeli (0.9%). In ruminants, haematozoan prevalence
(piroplasmida) was significantly higher than in carnivores (4.8% in sheep and
8.8% in cow). Theileria ovis was found in 1 sheep, Theileria sp. in 2 sheep,
Theileria buffeli in 5 cows and B. major in 1 cow. ****Evidence presented in this
contribution indicates that haematic protozoa are not widely distributed in
domestic mammal populations of France.

PMID: 19013719 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]