CANINE HEPATOZOONOSIS IN OKLAHOMA

Recognition of hepatozoonosis in four dogs that lived in Oklahoma thei r entire lifetimes documents expansion of the previously recognized en demic area of the disease. Salient clinical features are fever, marked neutrophilic leukocytosis, periosteal new bone proliferation, myalgia , weakness, muscle and generalized wasting, and lack of response to tr eatment Transient, large-bowel diarrhea may be observed Each of the fo ur cases had signs compatible with chronic, persistent inflammatory di sease that were poorly and ultimately nonresponsive to antimicrobial t reatment. Diagnosis was confirmed in one case by recognition of Hepato zoon gamonts in peripheral blood leukocytes. Encysted forms of the org anism were present in skeletal muscle and other tissues of each case.