Abstract
The diversity of Babesia species infecting cervids in parts of central and southern Spain was analyzed by collecting blood from farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus). Babesia sp. was isolated in vitro from two red deer herds in Cádiz and Ciudad Real. The number of Babesia sp. carriers differed between the two herds: 36/77 in Cádiz and 1/35 in Ciudad Real. Hyalomma lusitanicum was the most prevalent tick species identified on the Cádiz farm vegetation and on sampled animals, and is therefore a candidate vector. The molecular characteristics of 21 isolates were determined by complete (8 isolates) or partial (13 isolates) 18S rRNA gene sequencing. The sequences were highly similar (over 99.4% identity) and 6 sequence types were identified at the level of one herd only, demonstrating a rather high genetic diversity. They formed a monophyletic clade, and members of the three main sequence types shared a similar morphology and the same erythrocyte susceptibility pattern. This clade also included Babesia sp. Xinjiang isolated from sheep in China and Babesia sp. identified in giraffe in South Africa, with identities higher than 98.3% and statistically relevant phylogenetic support. None of the biological properties analyzed for both Babesia from red deer and Babesia sp. Xinjiang allowed their differentiation (ability to develop in vitro in erythrocytes from cattle and sheep, as well as in erythrocytes from different cervids, unsuccessful infection of calves). We propose the Babesia isolated from red deer as a new species named B. pecorum. Whether Babesia sp. Xinjiang and the Babesia characterized in South Africa belong to the same species is debated.
Highlights
Piroplasms of the genus Babesia are tick-borne parasitic protozoa responsible for infections referred to as babesiosis
Determination of Babesia spp. carrier animals Hemoparasites could not be detected on any of the Giemsa-stained smears obtained directly from the 112 collected blood samples, indicating that parasitemia in each sample was less than one parasite per 1000 red blood cells
In the present study, we carried out isolation of Babesia sp. by in vitro culture from blood sampled from farmed red deer in central (Ciudad Real, Castilla La Mancha) and southern Spain (Cádiz, Andalucia)
Summary
Piroplasms of the genus Babesia are tick-borne parasitic protozoa responsible for infections referred to as babesiosis. Some species of Babesia are pathogenic for domestic ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats) and/or wild ruminants (cervids). The latter have been proven or suspected to act as reservoirs for domestic hosts [1,2,3]. Ruminants are reservoirs of zoonotic Babesia such as B. divergens (cattle) and Babesia sp. Wildlife farming - especially deer farming − has expanded worldwide. This expansion is a reflex of the demand of venison and live individuals for restocking purposes in hunting activities [6], and of antler velvet for Asian traditional
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