Leading report on the molecular prevalence of emerging pathogens Hepatozoon sp. and Lankesterella sp. in the blood samples of seven wild lizard species.

Despite of having rich reptilian fauna, the wild lizards from Pakistan remained unexplored for the presence of blood borne parasites. The present study was designed to report the molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic evaluation of various blood borne pathogens (Hepatozoon sp., Schellackia spp.

Molecular detection and phylogeny of Hepatozoon ophisauri and Toxoplasma gondii in wild lizards from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Despite Pakistan's rich reptilian diversity, wild lizards have largely been unexplored for vector-borne parasites. This study reports the prevalence and phylogenetic assessment of Hepatozoon ophisauri and Toxoplasma gondii DNA in the blood samples of 101 wild lizards from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, captured at altitudes of 1200 to 2250 m above sea level between March 2022 and June 2023. PCR-based molecular analysis identified H.