Hematological, clinical and epidemiological aspects of Hepatozoon canis infection by parasitological detection in dogs from the rural area of Sousa, Paraíba, Brazil

ABSTRACT: Hepatozoonosis is caused by protozoa of the genus Hepatozoon. In dogs, the infection is caused mainly by Hepatozoon canis, and there are a few descriptions of the prevalence of this infection in the Northeast region of Brazil, especially in the semi-arid region. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of Hepatozoon canis infection in dogs in the rural area of Sousa, Paraíba, Brazil, as well as to determine the possible clinical and epidemiological aspects of this infection. Ninety-eight dogs in the rural zone of the municipality of Sousa that were at least 4 months old were evaluated, regardless of their breed or gender. Clinical examinations were carried out, and samples of systemic and peripheral blood were collected to determine the presence of the parasite in blood smears and carry out hemograms. In addition, epidemiological questionnaires about animal health and food management were completed. The prevalence of H. canis infections in dogs was 8.1% (8/98). There were three main changes in the hematological status: thrombocytopenia, anemia and hyperproteinemia, mainly related to percentage of leukocyte infection ≥5%, and also to the presence of clinical signs such as mucopurulent secretion, lymphadenomegaly, dry skin, pale mucous membranes, and lean or cachectic body score.摘要：肝簇虫病（Hepatozoonosis）由肝簇虫属（Hepatozoon）的原虫引发。在犬类中，该感染主要由犬肝簇虫（Hepatozoon canis）所致，目前针对巴西东北部地区，尤其是半干旱区域的该感染流行情况的相关报道较为匮乏。为此，本研究旨在明确巴西帕拉伊巴州苏萨市农村地区犬只的犬肝簇虫感染流行率，并探究该感染可能的临床与流行病学特征。本研究共评估了苏萨市农村地区98只月龄≥4个月的犬只，不限制其品种与性别。研究人员对受试犬进行了临床检查，采集全身及外周血样本以通过血涂片检测寄生虫，并开展血常规检测。此外，还完成了关于动物健康与饲养管理的流行病学调查问卷。受试犬的犬肝簇虫感染率为8.1%（8/98）。血液学检测共发现三项主要异常：血小板减少症（thrombocytopenia）、贫血（anemia）与高蛋白质血症（hyperproteinemia），上述异常主要与白细胞感染占比≥5%相关，同时也与黏脓性分泌物、淋巴结肿大（lymphadenomegaly）、皮肤干燥、黏膜苍白以及体况消瘦或恶病质等临床症状存在关联。