Korean J Parasitol.  2017 Oct;55(5):561-564. 10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.561.

First Case of Canine Infection with Hepatozoon canis (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) in the Republic of Korea

• Kwon SJ
• Kim YH
• Oh HH
• Choi US

• KMID: 2395761
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2017.55.5.561

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.

Keyword

Hepatozoon canis; hepatozoonosis; dog; Korea

MeSH Terms

Animals
Anorexia
Child, Preschool
Dehydration
Depression
Dogs
Doxycycline
Fever
Humans
Korea
Male
Neutrophils
Pancytopenia
Physical Examination
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Republic of Korea*
Doxycycline