2018•Journal of Medical EntomologyRequires access
Detection of Hepatozoon canis in the Brown Dog Tick and Domestic Dogs in Peninsular Malaysia
Batah Kunalan Prakash, Van Lun Low, Tiong Kai Tan, Wei Yin Vinnie-Siow, Yvonne Ai Lian Lim, Akhavan Rezaei Morvarid, Adzzie Shazleen Azman, Y S Yeong, Sazaly AbuBakar, Mohd Sofian‐Azirun
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Abstract
Hepatozoon canis has been widely reported in dogs. Its prevalence in ticks, however, has not been well-established. Here we determine the occurrence of Hepatozoon DNA in the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (Acari: Ixodidae) sensu lato (s.l.) and domestic dogs from Peninsular Malaysia using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on amplification of the 18S ribosomal RNA coding sequence. Our results revealed a relatively low prevalence of H. canis DNA in both R. sanguineus s.l. (0.7%) and dogs (3.33%). This study represents the first report of H. canis DNA in R. sanguineus s.l. in Malaysia, highlighting the risk of this infection in dogs.