Abstract
Babesiosis, the hemolytic disease caused by Babesia, which is a tick-transmitted obligate intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite. This disease is responsible for significant mortality and morbidity rates and enormous economic losses to the livestock industry in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In this study, blood samples were collected from 141 pet dogs from Gansu, China, and analyzed for Babesia or Theileria spp. infection using specific PCR and sequencing based on 18S rRNA gene fragments. The results indicated that 18S rRNA gene sequences from 11 samples were similar to the 18S rRNA gene sequences in Babesia canis vogeli (2) and Theileria sinensis (9). The total infected rates of B. canis vogeli and T. sinensis were 1.4% (2/141) and 6.4% (9/141), respectively. This represents the first molecular report of T. sinensis in dogs worldwide and of B. canis vogeli in dogs from Gansu province of China. Furthermore, the finding of T. sinensis in dogs may represent the common infection of this parasite occurring in Gansu.
Highlights
Babesiosis is a haemoparasitic disease, caused by the intraerythrocytic multiplication of protozoa of the genus Babesia and transmitted by ticks
Few studies have been performed on piroplasm in dogs in Gansu
Studies have revealed that young animals are susceptible to B. canis vogeli infection and their clinical presentations are more severe (Greene, 2011)
Summary
Babesiosis is a haemoparasitic disease, caused by the intraerythrocytic multiplication of protozoa of the genus Babesia and transmitted by ticks. It is a frequent infection of domestic and wild animals worldwide, including humans (Telford et al, 1993; Bush et al, 2001). Environmental conditions changing, including global warming, favors tick survival and reproduction, which correlate with a significant increase in the abundance of ticks (Slenning, 2010) This disease can be responsible of great direct and indirect economic losses, due to the death of the animals, a reduction in the production or restriction in animal movements (McCosker, 1981)
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