Screening of Domestic Cats from North-Eastern Hungary for Hepatozoon felis and Cytauxzoon europaeus That Cause Infections in Local Wildcat Populations.

ABSTRACT: Among vector-borne protozoa Hepatozoon felis and Cytauxzoon europaeus are considered emerging species in felids in Europe. To investigate the presence of these two protozoa 127 domestic cats and 4 wildcats were screened by PCRs targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Hepatozoon spp. and piroplasms, as well as the cytb gene of Cytauxzoon spp. The samples were collected inside and outside a region of Hungary, where both protozoan groups are endemic in wildcats. Among domestic cats, one proved to be infected with H. felis. Furthermore, spleen samples of four wildcats were also examined, among which three tested positive for H. felis, and one had co-infection with C. europaeus. Importantly, H. felis from the co-infected wildcat belon

SUBMITTER: Tuska-Szalay B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10221201 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature