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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #415251
Research Project: Foodborne Parasites and their Impact on Food Safety

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Hepatozoon rufi, n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) of bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi

Author
item Dubey, Jitender
item GUPTA, ADITYA - Orise Fellow
item ARAUJO, LARISSA - Orise Fellow
item Kwok, Oliver
item Rosenthal, Benjamin

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2024
Publication Date: 11/18/2024
Citation: Dubey, J.P., Gupta, A., Araujo, L., Kwok, O.C., Rosenthal, B.M. 2024. Hepatozoon rufi, n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) of bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi. Journal of Parasitology. https://doi.org/10.1645/24-52.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1645/24-52

Interpretive Summary: Hepatozoon species are single celled parasites that require 2 hosts (an arthropod and a vertebrate) for completion of life cycle such as malaria parasite. They can cause serious illness in wildlife species and companion animals (dogs and cats). Here, the authors describe a new species, Hepatozoon rufus from the bobcat (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi. Its life cycle stages are illustrated in detail with the expectation that it will help future researchers in understanding the life cycle of this group of parasites. Results of this investigation will be of interest to wildlife biologists, conservationists, parasitologists and biologists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: Hepatozoon sp. stages were detected in histological sections of muscles of 11 of 25 (myocardium of all 11, tongues of 4, limb muscle of 5) bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Mississippi hunted in 2017. The intensity of infection was highest in the heart. Only asexual stages (meronts) were detected. Two types of meronts (types 1 and 2) were detected. Type 1 meronts were found in 2 bobcats; they were small (< 15 µm in maximum dimension), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-negative and enclosed 2 or 4 robust 9.5-11 x 3.0-4.5 µm merozoites. The merozoites had rounded ends, found mostly in pairs, and probably divided by endodyogeny. Type 2 meronts were larger and found in all 11 infected cats. Type 2 meronts were surrounded by a glistening white capsule, up to 6 µm wide. Type 2 meronts inclusive of capsule were up to 39 µm long and up to 24 µm wide. Nuclei (up to 44) in immature schizonts were located at the periphery around a prominent residual mass/body. Merozoites budded at the periphery and measured 8.2-9.0 x 1.9-2.6 µm. Immature meronts were PAS-positive, but mature merozoites were PAS-negative. Merozoites budded from a large central PAS-positive residual body/mass. Type 2 meronts divided probably by schizogony. Additionally, individual zoites were found in leukocytes in blood vessels of the myocardium, but the stage was not identified. Based on genomic DNA characterized from paraffin embedded myocardium sections from 1 bobcat using 18S rRNA gene, Hepatozoon species from the bobcat was distinct from Hepatozoon spp. of felids. This is the first description of the development of Hepatozoon in muscles of bobcats. A new name, Hepatozoon rufus is proposed for the parasite in bobcats. It is proposed to replace previously cumbersome terms macromerozoites and micromerozoites of Hepatozoon spp. with type 1 and 2 meronts and merozoites.