A Case of Iriomote Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis iriomotensis) with Hepatozoon felis Parasitemia

Abstract

We herein present clinical findings of an Iriomote cat with Hepatozoon felis parasitemia. A male Iriomote cat was captured for ecological analyses three times from January 2010 to January 2011. Although this cat did not show any hematological abnormalities at the time of the first capture, H. felis parasitemia and increased serum creatine kinase levels were detected at the second and third captures. H. felis infection was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction, and amplified 18S ribosomal RNA gene fragments were 100% identical to those of H. felis in leopard cats in Korea. Although the virulence of H. felis in this cat was suggested to be low, this is the first report of an H. felis-infected Iriomote cat with parasitemia.