|
چکیده
|
Background: Canine hepatozoonosis is widespread in some regions of Iran but there was no information on the prevalence and tick vectors of Hepatozoon canis in the southeastern city of Kerman. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular prevalence of H. canis in ticks collected from dogs. Methods: From 2019 to 2020, fifty tick-infested free-ranging dogs in Kerman city (25 male, 25 female) were randomly chosen. From each dog, 5 engorged ticks were collected in individual labeled tubes and transferred to the laboratory. The ticks from each dog were morphologically identified, minced and pooled for genomic DNA extraction. Conventional PCR targeting an 897 bp fragment of the H. canis 16S rRNA gene was performed on 50 pools of tick, and products were gel-electrophoresed. Results: All collected ticks were diagnosed as Rh. sanguineus s.l.. DNA of H. canis was detected in 14 tick pools (28%). The dogs from which positive ticks were collected were of both sexes and aged between 5 months and 6 years. This study demonstrates for the first time a substantial prevalence of H. canis in ticks feeding on stray dogs in Kerman posing a potential health risk to domestic and wild canids in the region. Discussion: We have shown that molecular testing of ticks for Hepatozoon DNA could be a suitable alternative to blood sampling in epidemiological studies. Effective strategies for ectoparasite control, regular examination of dogs and successful chemoprophylaxis are advocated.
|