Short communication Molecular characterization of feline Hepatozoon species from Brazil Adriano Stefani Rubini, Karina dos Santos Paduan, Regina Raquel Perez, Paulo Eduardo Martins Ribolla, Lucia Helena O’Dwyer * Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Instituto de Biocie ˆncias, Departamento de Parasitologia, 18618-000 Botucatu, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil Received 28 September 2005; received in revised form 5 December 2005; accepted 6 December 2005 Abstract Feline Hepatozoon species from Brazil was molecular identified and characterized for the first time in Sa ˜o Paulo state, Brazil. Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene from the Hepatozoon from three naturally infected cats were analyzed. Sequences revealed that feline Hepatozoon was closely related to the canine Hepatozoon canis from Brazil. # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Hepatozoon; Feline; 18S rDNA Hepatozoon sp. is a protozoan parasite that infects numerous domestic and wild carnivores. Hepatozoon infection is well recognized in dogs, in which two species are described, Hepatozoon canis and Hepa- tozoon americanum (Vincent-Johnson et al., 1997). However, in cats, the infection is poorly understood (Baneth et al., 1998). Infection of domestic cats was first described in India (Patton, 1908). Since then, there have been few reports on this subject (Klopfer et al., 1973; Ewing, 1977; Van Amstel, 1979; Baneth et al., 1998). Perez et al. (2004) described, recently, the first report of Hepatozoon sp. infection of domestic cats, in Brazil. A variety of complains and clinical signs associated with the infection in cats included anorexia, weight loss, lethargy, ocular discharge and icterus (Ewing, 1977; Van Amstel, 1979). A more consistent finding is the increased activities of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) found by Baneth et al. (1998) and Perez et al. (2004). The Hepatozoon sp. gamonts found in cats in Brazil measured 9.88 Æ 0.39 mm in length, 5.3 Æ 0.19 mm in width, and 45.85 Æ 4.9 mm 2 of area (Perez et al., 2004). Those measures were very similar to the measurements found by Alencar et al. (1997) in Hepatozoon of fox (Cerdocyon thous) from Brazil (9.1 Æ 0.54  5.3 Æ 0.46 mm), slightly smaller than the H. canis gamonts measurements (11.42 mm  5.39 mm and 45.88 mm 2 of area) found by Waner et al. www.elsevier.com/locate/vetpar Veterinary Parasitology 137 (2006) 168–171 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 14 381126239; fax: +55 14 381123744. E-mail address: odwyer@ibb.unesp.br (L.H. O’Dwyer). 0304-4017/$ – see front matter # 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.12.008