ABSTRACT. Hemoplasma (hemotropic mycoplasma) often causes hemolytic anemia in infected cats, especially those with immune suppression. An updated nationwide epidemiological survey of feline hemoplasmosis was conducted in Japan. Blood samples were collected from 1,770 outdoor-accessing cats from March to October 2008. The infections were molecularly detected by PCR analyses, which are able to distinguish Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), 'Candidatus M. haemominutum' (CMhm), and 'Candidatus M. turicensis' (CMt) infections. Of the 1,770 cats, 468 cases (26.4%) revealed a single-or co-infection of feline hemoplasmas [Mhf alone, 42 cases (2.4%); CMhm alone, 280 cases (15.8%); CMt alone, 48 cases (2.7%); Mhf+CMhm, 28 cases (1.6%); Mhf+CMt, 6 cases (0.3%); CMhm+CMt, 50 cases (2.8%); Mhf+CMhm+CMt, 14 cases (0.8%)]. In addition, male gender, middle to old age, history of fight wounds, and feline immunodeficiency virus infection were shown to be risk factors for hemoplasma infection. Close attention must be paid to the acute onset of disease in feline practice because a prevalence of hemoplasma infection was detected even in clinically healthy cats.

Background: There is no well-established treatment strategy for Babesia gibsoni infection. A new therapeutic protocol using atovaquone (ATV) and azithromycin (AZM) has been proposed, but there is concern about the possible induction of relapse and the emergence of ATV-resistant variants after treatment.Objective Results: All of the dogs responded well to the treatment, with rapid improvement in their clinical condition and hematological parameters. However, 5 of the 8 dogs relapsed after treatment. Analysis of the CYTb gene strongly suggested the emergence of ATV-resistant variants after treatment.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The combination of ATV and AZM can be used as a first-line treatment for dogs with babesiosis, but relapses occur. Attention should be paid to the possible in vivo selection of drug-resistant variants.

ABSTRACT:The Iriomote cat (IC; Prionailurus iriomotensis) and the Tsushima leopard cat (TLC; Prionailurus bengalensis euptilura) are endangered wild felids in Japan. As a part of ongoing conservation activities, we conducted a molecular, epidemiologic survey of Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma infections in wild IC and TLC populations. Blood samples (47 from 33 individual IC; 22 from 13 TLC) were collected between August 2002 and January 2011. Using PCR analysis, we confirmed the presence of Bartonella henselae in ICs and Bartonella clarridgeiae in TLCs, with prevalences of 6% and 8%, respectively. Using PCR and basic local alignment search tool analyses, we identified Ehrlichia canis in both cats and Anaplasma bovis in TLCs. The prevalence of E. canis was 12% in ICs and 8% in TLCs, and the prevalence of A. bovis was 15% in TLCs. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of B. henselae, B. clarridgeiae, E. canis, and A. bovis infections in these two endangered species. Continuous monitoring of these pathogens is needed for their conservation.

ABSTRACT. This epidemiological survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of Hepatozoon, Babesia and Theileria infection in the Iriomote cat (IC) and the Tsushima leopard cat (TLC). Blood samples from 43 ICs and 14 TLCs were collected between November 2002 and January 2012. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analyses detected a Hepatozoon felis infection prevalence of 72.0% (31/43 cats) and 100% (14/14 cats) in ICs and TLCs, respectively. The degree of Hepatozoon parasitemia observed on blood smears ranged from 0.1 to 4.7%. However, no cases had obvious clinical signs of hepatozoonosis. Neither Babesia-nor Theileria-infected wildcats were detected in this study.

ABSTRACT. We present a clinical overview of a dog with acute onset of Hepatozoon canis infection. A stray female beagle dog of unknown age was referred to Kagoshima University showing anemia. Blood tests revealed the presence of anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperproteinemia, polyclonal gammopathy, hypoalbuminemia, and elevated creatine kinase and alkaline phosphatase activities. In addition, capsule-like organisms were detected in the cytoplasm of approximately 50% of neutrophils in blood smears. H. canis infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing analyses. Amplified DNA fragments revealed 100% identity to the 18S ribosomal RNA gene of H. canis. The clinical symptoms improved after the administration of antibiotics. Hepatozoonosis in dogs is rare, but veterinarians should be alert to its possible acute onset. Hepatozoon is a genus of protozoa belonging to phylum Apicomplexa. Dogs are known to be susceptible to infection by both Hepatozoon canis and H. americanum, but only the former has been confirmed in Japan [3,10,[15][16][17][18][19]21]. Hepatozoon parasites are transmitted by ticks, and the infection becomes established after the ingestion of infected ticks [4]. Ingested parasites enter the blood or lymphatic vessels through the intestinal mucosa and reach the bone marrow. Most H. canis infected dogs show clinical latency, and several factors, such as co-infection with other infectious agents and immunosuppression, are thought to be important factors promoting the acute onset of hepatozoonosis [2,4,6,9,20]. A few reports have described the acute onset of H. canis infection and its epidemiological distribution in Japan [10,[15][16][17][18][19]. The clinical symptoms associated with severe H. canis infection are anemia, fever, lethargy and weight loss [5]. Ataxia and lameness are also sometimes observed in Hepatozoon-infected dogs, due to the development of osteomyelitis. Characteristic hematological abnormalities in H. canis infection include non-regenerative anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutrophilia, hyperproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, polyclonal gammopathy, and increased serum creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentrations [5][6][7]. The detection of capsule-like gamonts in the cytoplasm of neutrophils in blood smears is helpful for diagnosing hepatozoonosis. Other diagnostic techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Hepatozoonderived genomic DNA or enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for anti-Hepatozoon antibodies, are also potentially useful [8,10,11] A stray female beagle dog of unknown age was cared for by a temporary owner in the suburbs of Kagoshima, Japan. The owner took her to a private veterinary hospital for a health check. Severe dehydration, numerous ticks on the skin and pale mucus membranes were detected by physical examination (day 1). Fecal examination revealed roundworm, whipworm and tapeworm infections. Blood examination demonstrated the presence of anemia [packed cell volume (PCV), 17%], leukocytosis (44,900/l) and mild thrombocytopen...