VPAR101

ENTOMOLOGY ANDPARASITOLOGY
TOPIC: Babesia-Cytauxzoon
Family Babesiidae
Babesia
(Video base)
Babesiosis of dogs – plain and simple
Babesiosis in dog is a parasitic disease spread by ticks.
It is caused by microscopic single cell organism called Babesia species (100+ sp)
and all infect vertebrates.
B. rossi, vogeli, canis, and gibsoni are the most common species found in dogs.
Divided into 2 groups the large group B. rossi, vogeli and canis while the
small group B. gibsoni.
Babesia – needs 2 host species to have full life cycle; the ticks and dogs.
Ticks are the definitive host while the dogs are the intermediate host.
Ticks will serve as the breeding site and the carrier or the biological vector of
babsia to the dogs. Babesia will invade RBC and will destroy it and as the RBC
decrease the babesia will increase.
Large group babesia can do transovarial infection.
Signs & symptoms:
1-4 weeks incubation period
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Fever
Hemolytic anemia
Hemolysis = dissolution of blood
Blood loss without bleeding
Immune/autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Jaundice in dogs
Urine is dark
And will lead to complicated babesiosis – death
Diagnosis:
Clinical signs – fever, loss of appetite, dark urine and jaundice.
Good suspicion of babesiosis
Microscopic appearance of the RBC is in “shades”
Treatment of babesiosis: support the patient
IV fluids (with blood transfusion)
Anti-inflammatory drugs
And others if it is complicated already.
Vaccination against babesiosis if it is available in the country.
But removal of ticks is the most priority solution.

Species of the genus Babesia are intraerythrocytic protozoa infecting livestock and
companion animals. Babesia is transmitted by different species of ticks (Figure 25).
VPAR101
ENTOMOLOGY ANDPARASITOLOGY
TOPIC: Babesia-Cytauxzoon

Figure 25. Babesia species, hosts, and vectors. Data from Taylor et al. (2016).

Family Theileriidae
Theileria
Theileria species are another tick-borne parasites that infect livestock in Africa, Asia,
and the Middle East (Figure 26). The parasites undergo schizogony in the lymphocytes,
while the released merozoites invade erythrocytes to become piroplasms.
VPAR101
ENTOMOLOGY ANDPARASITOLOGY
TOPIC: Babesia-Cytauxzoon

Figure 26. Theileria species, hosts, and vectors. Data from Taylor et al. (2016).

Cytauxzoon
Cytauxzoon species are Theileria‐like piroplasms parasitizing wild animals and
domestic cats. Schizogony occurs in the reticuloendothelial cells, and the piroplasms
are found in the erythrocytes. Cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats is mainly transmitted
by Dermacentor variabilis.