Hepatozoon spp Infections in the United States

Two Hepatozoon spp are recognized as parasites of domestic dogs in the United States, H canis and H americanum. H canis was first described in India in 1905 and has been documented in many areas of the world, although not definitively identified in North America until recently. H americanum, causing American canine hepatozoonosis, was first documented in a coyote in 1978 and is now considered an emerging etiologic agent of disease in domestic dogs throughout the United States. The authors review current knowledge of canine hepatozoonosis caused by H canis and H americanum and elaborate on more recent research findings.