The present study aimed to evaluate under controlled conditions the acquisition of Hepatozoon canis by Amblyomma ovale after feeding on infected dogs, and the subsequent induction of infection in uninfected dogs that ingested the experimentally infected ticks. Two H. canis naturally infected dogs were infested with A. ovale adult ticks derived from an uninfected laboratory tick colony. After feeding, two A. ovale females presented H. canis oocysts in the hemolymph at the first and fourth days after removal of ticks from dogs. The oocysts had an average size of 244.34 microm x 255.46 microm. Three uninfected dogs were fed with ticks previously fed on the infected dogs. Only one dog became infected 32 days after oral inoculation, presenting circulating gametocytes, parasitemia less than 1%, and positive PCR confirmed to be H. canis by DNA sequencing. The results obtained indicated A. ovale ticks as potential vector of H. canis in rural areas of Brazil.

Canine Hepatozoon species from Brazil was molecular identified and characterized for the first time. From 31 dogs, 7 were positive for blood smear examination and 21 positive for PCR. Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene from eight naturally infected dogs were analyzed. Sequences revealed that Brazilian Hepatozoon is closely related with the Japanese Hepatozoon, that has 99% nucleotide identity with Hepatozoon canis from Israel, and different from Hepatozoon americanum. These results indicate that the canine Hepatozoon species from Brazil is H. canis.

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