Introduction

Babesiosis is a tick-borne hemo-parasitic disease of domestic and wild animals. Parasites causing babesiosis are considered to infect only specific hosts but some sporadic reports in recent past are in strong disagreement with their host specificity. This is the first report of a domestic cat being naturally infected with a novel Babesia sp. in India.

Methods

Blood samples collected from dogs (n = 6) and a 3-month-old cat, with clinical symptoms of babesiosis, were submitted to two different laboratories for hematology analysis, light microscopical examination, and molecular confirmation of Babesia sp. using PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis.

Results

Hematological alterations noticed in canine and feline samples were severe anemia and thrombocytopenia. Pear-shaped merozoites were visualized on light microscopic examination of both canine and feline blood smears. Size of the merozoites in feline blood sample was smaller when compared to canine samples. Molecular analysis using Babesia species-specific primers showed that all canine samples were positive for B. vogeli and feline sample was negative for B. canis, B. rossi, and B. vogeli infecting dogs. Amplification and sequencing of full-length ssrRNA using universal apicomplexan primers followed by molecular and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Indian domestic cat was infected with a novel Babesia sp.

Conclusion

This work presents the first molecular and phylogenetic evidence of a novel Babesia sp. causing feline babesiosis in a naturally infected domestic cat in India. We propose to name this novel species as Babesia panickeri sp. nov.

中文翻译：

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一种新物种的分子鉴定，巴贝斯虫属。11 月，来自一只自然感染的印度家猫及其与犬巴贝斯虫分离株的比较。

简介

巴贝斯虫病是一种家畜和野生动物的蜱传血液寄生虫病。引起巴贝虫病的寄生虫被认为只感染特定宿主，但最近的一些零星报告与其宿主特异性存在强烈分歧。这是家猫自然感染新型巴贝斯虫的首份报告。在印度。

方法

从 具有巴贝斯虫病临床症状的狗 ( n = 6) 和 3 个月大的猫身上采集的血液样本被提交给两个不同的实验室进行血液学分析、光学显微镜检查和巴贝斯虫的分子确认。使用 PCR、测序和系统发育分析。

结果

在犬和猫样本中观察到的血液学改变是严重的贫血和血小板减少症。梨形裂殖子在犬和猫血涂片的光学显微镜检查中可见。与犬类样本相比，猫类血液样本中裂殖子的大小较小。使用巴贝虫属物种特异性引物进行的分子分析表明，所有犬样本对B. vogeli呈阳性，猫样本对B. canis、B. rossi和B. vogeli感染狗呈阴性。使用通用顶复体引物对全长 ssrRNA 进行扩增和测序，然后进行分子和系统发育分析，结果表明印度家猫感染了一种新型巴贝斯虫属。

结论

这项工作提供了一种新型巴贝斯虫的第一个分子和系统发育证据。在印度自然感染的家猫中引起猫巴贝斯虫病。我们建议将这种新物种命名为Babesia panickeri sp。年11月。