Molecular characterization of Hepatozoon felis infection in domestic cats of Kerala

Hepatozoonosis, caused by Hepatozoon spp., is a tick-borne protozoan disease increasingly reported in domestic cats and wild felids. A total of 164 blood samples were collected from cats at University Veterinary Hospital (UVH), Kokkalai, Thrissur, Kerala and screened microscopically for haemoparasites. Ten blood samples of cats which were negative and suffering from general clinical signs like lethargy, fever, anorexia, weakness and lymphadenopathy were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for molecular confirmation of the presence of DNA of Hepatozoon spp. Piroplasmid-specific primers targeting 18S rRNA gene of Cytauxzoon/Hepatozoon spp. were used for amplification and one sample was found positive. A 358-bp product was amplified which was sequenced to confirm the species. The product was found to be 100% similar with the corresponding published sequences of H. felis. None of the samples revealed Babesia spp. or C.felis specific amplicons. This study reports the molecular confirmation and phylogeny of H. felis in cats of Thrissur, Kerala.