Naturally acquired babesiosis in a reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) herd in Great Britain

Parasitol Res. 2003 Feb;89(3):194-8. doi: 10.1007/s00436-002-0737-x. Epub 2002 Oct 8.

Abstract

A provisional diagnosis of babesiosis was made in a reindeer herd in Scotland when seven animals died during 1997 and 1998. Additional clinical cases occurred, but the animals recovered after treatment. Thirty-one reindeer from the herd were tested for the prevalence of exposure to Babesia by the indirect fluorescent antibody test using a bovine isolate of Babesia divergens that had been passaged through gerbils. Infection rates were determined by Giemsa-stained blood smears. In addition, molecular identification of the infecting Babesiasp. was undertaken using SSU rRNA gene sequence analysis. It is likely that the organism causing babesiosis in this reindeer herd is B. divergens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Babesia / drug effects
  • Babesia / genetics
  • Babesia / isolation & purification
  • Babesiosis / diagnosis*
  • Babesiosis / epidemiology
  • Babesiosis / parasitology
  • Base Sequence
  • Female
  • Gerbillinae
  • Host-Parasite Interactions
  • Imidocarb / analogs & derivatives*
  • Imidocarb / pharmacology
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxytetracycline / pharmacology
  • Prevalence
  • Reindeer / parasitology*
  • Sequence Alignment
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology

Substances

  • Imidocarb
  • Oxytetracycline
  • imidocarb dipropionate

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY098643