HEPATOZOON RUFI N. SP. (APICOMPLEXA: HEPATOZOIDAE) OF BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) FROM MISSISSIPPI

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Wildlife Disease Ecology
• Molecular Phylogenetics

Background:

• Hepatozoon species are tick-borne protozoan parasites that infect various vertebrates.
• While Hepatozoon infections are known in felids, their presence and development in bobcat (Lynx rufus) muscles remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the presence and characteristics of Hepatozoon parasites in bobcat muscles.
• To identify and describe new species of Hepatozoon infecting bobcats using morphological and molecular methods.

Main Methods:

• Histological examination of muscle tissues from bobcats hunted in Mississippi.
• Morphological classification of asexual Hepatozoon stages (meronts).
• Genomic DNA extraction and 18S rRNA gene sequencing from infected myocardium for phylogenetic analysis.

Main Results:

• Hepatozoon sp. detected in muscles of 11 out of 25 bobcats, with highest intensity in the myocardium.
• Three distinct types of asexual meronts were identified based on structure and division.
• Molecular analysis revealed a distinct Hepatozoon species, related to but separate from other felid Hepatozoon species.

Conclusions:

• The study describes Hepatozoon rufi, a novel species of Hepatozoon found in bobcat muscles.
• This is the first report detailing the development of Hepatozoon parasites within the musculature of bobcats.
• The findings contribute to understanding parasite diversity and host-parasite interactions in wild felids.