Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

• Phylum: Apicomplexa.
• Class: Sporozoea.
• Subclass: Piroplasmea.
• Order: Piroplasmida.
• Family: Babesiidae.
• Genus:Babesia.

Active Forms

Clinical Effects

Epidemiology

Habitat

• Within erythrocytes of primary host.
• Intermediate hosts are ticks of the family Ixodidae.

Lifecycle

In primary host

• Organism divides asexually by budding within red blood cells → 2 or 4 individuals per cell.
• Erythrocyte eventually ruptures → organisms liberated → penetrate new red cells.
• Parasitemic blood ingested by tick.

In intermediate host

• Sexual reproduction may occur in gut of tick.
• Followed by schizogony → motile club-shaped vermicules.
• Migrate to tissues of tick, especially ovaries → multiplication.
• Invade eggs of tick → multiply in hatched larvae.
• Enter salivary glands of larvae → infective sporozoites → inoculated into new host.

Transmission

• Via ticks Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus Dermacentor reticulatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus Rhipicephalus, Hemophysalis leachi, Hyalomma marginatum, Dermacentor andersoni Dermacentor andersoni.
• Blood transfusion (rarely).
• Transplacental.

Pathological effects

• Humans: fever, hemolytic anemia, may be fatal. More common in splenectomized patients.
• Dog/cat: progressive anemia Anemia: overview ; may be acute or chronic; often subclinical.

Control

Vaccination

• None in North America or the UK.
• Available for dogs in France.

Other countermeasures

• Control tick vector Tick control.

Diagnosis

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
• Swainsbury C, Bengtson G & Hill P (2016) Babesiosis in dogs. Vet Rec 178 (7), 172 PubMed.
• Taboada J, Harvey J W, Levy M G et al (1992) Seroprevalence of babesiosis in Greyhounds in Florida. JAVMA 200 (1), 47-50 PubMed.
• Conrad P, Thomford J, Yamane I et al (1991) Hemolytic anemia caused by Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs. JAVMA 199 (5), 601-605 PubMed.
• Taboada J & Merchant S R (1991) Babesiosis of companion animals and man. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 21 (1), 103-123 PubMed.
• Abdullahi S U, Mohammed A A, Trimnell A R et al (1990) Clinical and haematological findings in 70 naturally occurring cases of canine babesiosis. JSAP 31 (3), 145-147 VetMedResource.