Niu Q, Yang J, Liu Z, Gao S, Pan Y, Guan G, Chu Y, Liu G, Luo J, Yin H

Front Microbiol

2017 Jun 7;8:1029

Abstract:

Babesiosis, the hemolytic disease caused byBabesia, 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 forBabesiaorTheileriaspp. 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 inBabesia canis vogeli(2) andTheileria sinensis(9). The total infected rates ofB. canis vogeliandT. sinensiswere 1.4% (2/141) and 6.4% (9/141), respectively. This represents the first molecular report ofT. sinensisin dogs worldwide and ofB. canis vogeliin dogs from Gansu province of China. Furthermore, the finding ofT. sinensisin dogs may represent the common infection of this parasite occurring in Gansu.