Morfología de estructuras parasitarias de Rangelia vitalii en muestras de perros naturalmente infectados

The rangeliosis is a tick-borne disease affecting domestic and wild canids caused by Rangelia vitalii and transmitted by the tick Amblyomma aureolatum. The disease has been diagnosed in southern Brazil since the beginning of XX century, and recently in Argentina and Uruguay which could be related to an increase of the distribution area of the parasite and susceptible hosts. The parasite is an intracellular apicomplexan protozoon closely related with Babesia spp. in phylogenetical studies, however it showed differences in the life cycle. Parasitic stages have been observed in monocytes, erythrocytes and neutrophils, and in endothelial cells from several organs as well as free on plasma. The present study describes the morphology of 4 different parasitic stages observed in blood samples from naturally infected dogs in Argentina.