Revista Caatinga (Jan 2015)

SEROLOGICAL, PARASITOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR ASSESSMENT OF Babesia bovis AND Babesia bigemina IN CATTLE FROM STATE OF MARANHÃO

  • FRANCISCO BORGES COSTA,
  • SOLANGE ARAÚJO MELO,
  • FLÁBIO RIBEIRO ARAÚJO,
  • CARLOS ALBERTO DO NASCIMENTO RAMOS,
  • ALCINA VIEIRA CARVALHO-NETA,
  • RITA DE MARIA SEABRA NOGUEIRA DE CANDANEDO GUERRA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 28, no. 2
pp. 217 – 224

Abstract

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The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in dairy cattle from São Luis Island in the state of Maranhão, Brazil. A total of 281 blood samples were collected. In total, 275 (97.9%) animals were B. bovis-reactive and B. bigemina reactive in the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The microscopy examination detected 22 (7.8%) animals that were positive for Babesia sp. and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis showed that 91 animals (32.38%) and 23 animals (8.18%) were positive for B. bovis and B. bigemina, respectively, while 17 animals (6.04%) were co-infected. There is a high level of transmission of these protozoa in Maranhão, and the animals were naturally exposed. Therefore, it is possible to characterize the island as enzootic stability for babesiosis, indicat-ing a risk of financial losses when susceptible animals are introduced from areas of enzootic instability or free regions of B. bovis and B. bigemina.