Detection of Rangelia vitalii (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) in asymptomatic free-ranging wild canids from the Pampa biome, Brazil

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 118; no. 4; pp. 1337 - 1342
• Main Authors: de Souza, Viviane Kelin, Dall’Agnol, Bruno, Souza, Ugo Araújo, Webster, Anelise, Peters, Felipe Bortolotto, Favarini, Marina Ocha, Mazim, Fábio Dias, da Rocha, Fabiana Lopes, Tirelli, Flávia Pereira, Soares, João Fábio, de Assis Jardim, Márcia Maria, Trigo, Tatiane Campos, Reck, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biomes; Cerdocyon thous; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Hematology; Immunology; Medical Microbiology; Medical research; Microbiology; Protozoa; Protozoology - Short Communication; Tick-borne diseases; South America; Brazil; Canada; Hemoparasite; Rangeliosis; Carrier; Lycalopex gymnocercus; Cerdocyon thous
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06245-6

Canine rangeliosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoan Rangelia vitalii , which has only been reported in South America. With this knowledge, we hypothesized that neotropical foxes could act as asymptomatic natural carriers of R. vitalii . To test this, we captured 44 free-ranging foxes and investigated the presence of R. vitalii DNA, and whether the infected animals presented any clinical findings or hematological changes. Eight foxes (18%), seven Cerdocyon thous (7/27–25%), and one Lycalopex gymnocercus (1/17–5%) were positive for R. vitalii . All foxes were clinically healthy and showed no hematological abnormalities. Thus, we propose that neotropical canids, particularly C. thous , could be the natural carriers of R. vitalii .