Molecular detection of Babesia rossi and Hepatozoon sp in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa

Blood specimens from wild dogs (n = 301) were obtained from De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre (Pretoria) and five game reserves (4 in the North-West Province and 1 in Limpopo Province), South Africa. Specimens were screened for Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon and EhrlichialAnaplasma species using PCR and Reverse Line Blot (RLB) assays. Positive results were obtained in 18 (6%) wild dogs. Sixteen specimens were found positive for Babesia rossi and two dogs were Hepatozoon sp. positive. It appears that these tick-borne pathogens are not widely distributed in wild dog populations. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.