Occurrence of Hepatozoon sp in dogs in the urban area originating from a municipality in southeastern Brazil

The occurrence of Hepatozoon sp. infection in dogs was evaluated in the urban area of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The study involved 300 animals, 120 from the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlandia's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 80 from private clinics, and 100 from the Animal Protective Association (APA). Among these animals, 7.66% presented Hepatozoon sp. gamonts inside neutrophils. No statistically significant difference was found among the diagnoses based on capillary and venous blood smears, but a statistical significance was identified in age range and breed. The main signs and symptoms the animals presented were pale mucous membranes, swollen lymph nodes, ocular discharge and pain in response to renal palpation. All the ticks collected were of the species Rhipicephalus sanguineus and no oocyst of the parasite was found in the hemolymph of the ixodidae. The findings of this study reinforce the presence of Hepatozoon sp. infecting dogs in Uberlandia, MG, with age and breed possibly related to the infection. The symptoms presented by the animals were consistent with those reported by other researchers. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.