Water Buffalos as carriers of Babesia bovis in Argentina

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Lucas FerreriLeonhard Schnittger

Abstract

The tick-transmitted hemoprotozoan Babesia bovis is a major causative agent of bovine babesiosis, an often fatal disease of cattle. The disease is widespread in the northeastern region of Argentina, where an increasing part of the livestock is composed of water buffalos. Although clinical cases of buffalo babesiosis have not been reported so far, the pathogen-transmitting tick vector has been occasionally observed by us to be feeding on water buffalos. We therefore set out to examine whether buffalos may constitute a reservoir of the parasite. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) detected B. bovis-specific antibodies in 20% of investigated buffalos (21/103), while direct detection of the pathogen by nested PCR was demonstrated in 34% of the animals (35/103). In one field, more than 60% of investigated animals (22/36) tested positive by nested PCR. These results are discussed in the context of buffalo babesiosis reported in other countries and in view of the currently effected control measures against bovine babesiosis in the region.

References

Mar 26, 1998·Tropical Animal Health and Production·Z LiuB Yao
Dec 18, 2004·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Mariana DominguezMonica Florin-Christensen
Jun 1, 2005·Veterinary Parasitology·Q LiuY Fu

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Citations

Apr 12, 2012·Clinical and Vaccine Immunology : CVI·Mariana DominguezMonica Florin-Christensen
Dec 25, 2013·Veterinary Parasitology·Thillaiampalam SivakumarNaoaki Yokoyama
Jun 25, 2013·Veterinary Parasitology·Jenevaldo Barbosa da SilvaJosé Diomedes Barbosa
Feb 15, 2011·Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology·Martin SimuunzaWilliam Weir
Jul 30, 2014·Parasitology·Monica Florin-ChristensenLeonhard Schnittger

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