Babesia vogeli in dogs in Chile.

Authors :: Di Cataldo S
Ulloa-Contreras C
Cevidanes A
Hernández C
Millán J
Source :: Transboundary and emerging diseases [Transbound Emerg Dis] 2020 Nov; Vol. 67 (6), pp. 2296-2299. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 May 17.
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: We report the presence of Babesia vogeli in dogs in Chile. During two surveillance campaigns separated by a year, sixty-three blood samples from free-ranging rural dogs in Coquimbo, Chile, were analysed through conventional PCR screening of the 18S rRNA for Babesia species. Sequencing confirmed the presence of Babesia vogeli in 6.3% of the tested animals, with positive cases in both years. All the sequences showed 100% nucleotide sequence identity among them and 99.8% with other previously published sequences from dogs. No clinical signs or haematological abnormalities other than thrombocytopenia were found in the parasitized individuals. This is the first report of a canine piroplasmid in Chile.<br /> (© 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)