Canine hepatozoonosis caused by Hepatozoon canis is a worldwide distributed tick-borne disease of domestic and wild canids that is transmitted by ingestion of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.) ticks. The present study was aimed to determine the prevalence of Hepatozoon infections in 80 stray dogs from Havana Province in Cuba, and to confirm the species identity and phylogenetic relationships of the causative agent. Samples were screened by microscopical examination of thin blood smears for the presence of Hepatozoon spp. gamonts and by genus-specific SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene. Direct microscopy examination revealed Hepatozoon gamonts in the peripheral blood of 8 dogs (10.0%; 95% CI: 4.80–18.0%), while 38 animals (47.5%; 95% CI: 36.8–58.4%) were PCR-positive, including all microscopically positive dogs. Hence, the agreement between the two detection methods was ‘poor’ (κ = 0.20). Hematological parameters did not differ significantly between PCR-positive and PCR-negative dogs (p > 0.05). The DNA sequences of the 18S rRNA gene of the Hepatozoon spp. from Cuban dogs showed a nucleotide identity >99% with those of 18S rRNA sequences of Hepatozoon canis isolates from Czech Republic, Brazil and Spain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that obtained sequences clustered within the Hepatozoon canis clade, different from the Hepatozoon felis or Hepatozoon americanum clades. The present study represents the first molecular characterization of Hepatozoon canis in stray dogs within Cuba.

犬肝肝犬病引起的犬肝病是一种分布在世界各地的家养和野生犬科tick传播疾病，通过摄入红头hip（shipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato）transmitted传播。本研究旨在确定来自古巴哈瓦那省的80只流浪狗的肝炎感染率，并确认该病原菌的种类和系统发生关系。通过显微镜检查稀薄的血液涂片筛查样本中是否存在Hepatozoon spp。gamonts并通过针对18S rRNA基因的属特异性SYBR Green实时PCR检测。直接显微镜检查显示肝oz8只狗（10.0％； 95％CI：4.80-18.0％）的外周血中的gamonts，而包括所有镜检阳性狗在内的38只动物（47.5％； 95％CI：36.8-58.4％）PCR阳性。因此，两种检测方法之间的一致性为“差”（κ= 0.20）。在PCR阳性和PCR阴性的狗之间，血液学参数没有显着差异（p  > 0.05）。Hepatozoon spp的18S rRNA基因的DNA序列。来自古巴狗的犬显示出与来自捷克共和国，巴西和西班牙的肝炎犬犬分离株的18S rRNA序列的核苷酸同一性> 99％。系统发育分析表明，获得的序列聚集在犬肝内。进化枝，不同于Hepatozoon felis或美国Hepatozoon美洲进化枝。本研究代表了古巴境内流浪犬中肝犬的第一个分子特征。