Babesia in Domestic Ruminants

Ganzinelli, Sabrina; Rodríguez, Anabel Elisa; Schnittger, Leonhard; Florín-Christensen, Mónica

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-70132-5_9

Cited by 14 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 136 publications

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“…Many species are of veterinary significance, either due to their negative economic impact on livestock industries or due to the diseases they cause in pets and occasionally in wild life [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Examples of the former group include Babesia bovis and/or B. bigemina causing bovine babesiosis of cattle; Theileria annulata , Theileria parva , and Theileria orientalis that cause tropical theileriosis, East Coast Fever, and oriental theileriosis of cattle, respectively; and Babesia ovis causing ovine babesiosis of sheep [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Piroplasmids that infect companion animals include Cytauxzoon felis , the causative agent of feline cytauxzoonosis, and Theileria equi and Babesia caballi causing equine piroplasmosis [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cysteine Proteinase C1A Paralog Profiles Correspond with Phylogenetic Lineages of Pathogenic Piroplasmids

Ascencio

Florín-Christensen

Mamoun

et al. 2018

Veterinary Sciences

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Piroplasmid parasites comprising of Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon are transmitted by ticks to farm and pet animals and have a significant impact on livestock industries and animal health in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In addition, diverse Babesia spp. infect humans as opportunistic hosts. Molecular phylogeny has demonstrated at least six piroplasmid lineages exemplified by B. microti, B. duncani, C. felis, T. equi, Theileria sensu stricto (T. annulata, T. parva, and T. orientalis) and Babesia sensu stricto (B. bovis, B. bigemina, and B. ovis). C1A cysteine-proteinases (C1A-Cp) are papain-like enzymes implicated in pathogenic and vital steps of the parasite life cycle such as nutrition and host cell egress. An expansion of C1A-Cp of T. annulata and T. parva with respect to B. bovis and B. ovis was previously described. In the present work, C1A-Cp paralogs were identified in available genomes of species pertaining to each piroplasmid lineage. Phylogenetic analysis revealed eight C1A-Cp groups. The profile of C1A-Cp paralogs across these groups corroborates and defines the existence of six piroplasmid lineages. C. felis, T. equi and Theileria s.s. each showed characteristic expansions into extensive families of C1A-Cp paralogs in two of the eight groups. Underlying gene duplications have occurred as independent unique evolutionary events that allow distinguishing these three piroplasmid lineages. We hypothesize that C1A-Cp paralog families may be associated with the advent of the schizont stage. Differences in the invertebrate tick host specificity and/or mode of transmission in piroplasmid lineages might also be associated with the observed C1A-Cp paralog profiles.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cysteine Proteinase C1A Paralog Profiles Correspond with Phylogenetic Lineages of Pathogenic Piroplasmids

Ascencio

Florín-Christensen

Mamoun

et al. 2018

Veterinary Sciences

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“…Attempts were also made to produce a live vaccine for B. divergens in splenectomized calves or intact gerbils. However, treatment with babesicidal drugs was needed to prevent clinical manifestations after vaccination [ 18 ], and due to its poor efficacy, this anti- B. divergens live vaccine is no longer in use [ 18 ]. The mechanisms involved in the process of attenuation of Babesia parasites during passages in calves still remain unknown, but recent genomic and transcriptomic comparative analyses among parental virulent and their derived attenuated vaccine strains have shed some light on the presence of differences in the patterns of expression of a limited number of genes [ 54 ].…”

Section: Current Control Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, more sensitive methods, such as serological assays and molecular tests, should be used. While serological assays are designed to detect immune responses (antibodies) produced by exposed hosts, molecular tests, such as standard PCR, nested-PCR, real-time quantitative PCR, reverse line blot (RLB), and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), are aimed at revealing the presence of parasite DNA in the vertebrate host [ 18 , 87 ]. Thus, there is a short window of time at the onset of acute infection (approximately 12–15 days post-infection) when antibodies may not be detected by current serological methods.…”

Section: Diagnosis Of Bovine Babesiosismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, B. divergens is another important Babesia species that is transmitted by Ixodes ticks and affects cattle in Europe and North Africa. Apart from its impact on bovines, B. divergens is especially important as a zoonotic pathogen implicated in human babesiosis in Europe [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 18 ]. Acute bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis is often severe due to cytoadhesion of infected RBC in the lung, kidney, and brain capillaries, which leads to hypotension, respiratory stress syndrome, neurological symptoms, and death [ 8 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Acute bovine babesiosis caused by B. bovis is often severe due to cytoadhesion of infected RBC in the lung, kidney, and brain capillaries, which leads to hypotension, respiratory stress syndrome, neurological symptoms, and death [ 8 , 19 ]. In contrast, B. bigemina induces massive hemolytic anemia without causing the symptoms associated with cytoadhesion [ 4 , 6 , 18 ]. Also of importance as causative agents of bovine babesiosis are B. ovata , B. major , B. occultans , and additional unclassified Babesia that are characterized by their low pathogenicity in cattle compared to B. bovis , B. bigemina , and B. divergens [ 8 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bovine Babesiosis in Turkey: Impact, Current Gaps, and Opportunities for Intervention

et al. 2020

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Bovine babesiosis is a global tick-borne disease that causes important cattle losses and has potential zoonotic implications. The impact of bovine babesiosis in Turkey remains poorly characterized, but several Babesia spp., including B. bovis, B. bigemina, and B. divergens, among others and competent tick vectors, except Rhipicephalus microplus, have been recently identified in the country. Bovine babesiosis has been reported in all provinces but is more prevalent in central and highly humid areas in low and medium altitude regions of the country housing approximately 70% of the cattle population. Current control measures include acaricides and babesicidal drugs, but not live vaccines. Despite the perceived relevant impact of bovine babesiosis in Turkey, basic research programs focused on developing in vitro cultures of parasites, point-of-care diagnostic methods, vaccine development, “omics” analysis, and gene manipulation techniques of local Babesia strains are scarce. Additionally, no effective and coordinated control efforts managed by a central animal health authority have been established to date. Development of state-of-the-art research programs in bovine babesiosis to address current gaps in knowledge and implementation of long-term plans to control the disease will surely result in important economic, nutritional, and public health benefits for the country and the region.

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The Piroplasmida Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria in farm and companion animals: species compilation, molecular phylogeny, and evolutionary insights

et al. 2022

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The order Piroplasmida, including the genera Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria is often referred to as piroplasmids and comprises of dixenous hemoprotozoans transmitted by ticks to a mammalian or avian host. Although piroplasmid infections are usually asymptomatic in wild animals, in domestic animals, they cause serious or life-threatening consequences resulting in fatalities. Piroplasmids are particularly notorious for the enormous economic loss they cause worldwide in livestock production, the restrictions they pose on horse trade, and the negative health impact they have on dogs and cats. Furthermore, an increasing number of reported human babesiosis cases are of growing concern. Considerable international research and epidemiological studies are done to identify existing parasite species, reveal their phylogenetic relationships, and develop improved or new drugs and vaccines to mitigate their impact. In this review, we present a compilation of all piroplasmid species, isolates, and species complexes that infect domestic mammals and which have been well defined by molecular phylogenetic markers. Altogether, 57 taxonomic piroplasmid entities were compiled, comprising of 43 piroplasmid species, 12 well-defined isolates awaiting formal species description, and two species complexes that possibly mask additional species. The extrapolation of the finding of at least 57 piroplasmid species in only six domestic mammalian groups (cattle, sheep, goat, horse, dog, and cat) allows us to predict that a substantially higher number of piroplasmid parasites than vertebrate host species exist. Accordingly, the infection of a vertebrate host species by multiple piroplasmid species from the same and/or different phylogenetic lineages is commonly observed. Molecular phylogeny using 18S rRNA genes of piroplasmids infecting domestic mammals results in the formation of six clades, which emerge due to an anthropocentric research scope, but not due to a possibly assumed biological priority position. Scrutinizing the topology of inferred trees reveals stunning insights into some evolutionary patterns exhibited by this intriguing group of parasites. Contrary to expectations, diversification of parasite species appears to be dominated by host-parasite cospeciation (Fahrenholz's rule), and, except for piroplasmids that segregate into Clade VI, host switching is rarely observed. When only domestic mammalian hosts are taken into account, Babesia sensu lato (s.l.) parasites of Clades I and II infect only dogs and cats, respectively, Cytauxzoon spp. placed into Clade III only infect cats, Theileria placed into Clade IV exclusively infect horses, wheras Theileria sensu stricto (s.s.) of Clade V infects only cattle and small ruminants. In contrast, Babesia s.s. parasites of Clade VI infect all farm and companion animal species. We outline how the unique ability of transovarial transmission of Babesia s.s. piroplasmids of Clade VI facilitates species diversification by host switching to other host vertebrate species. Finally, a deterioration o...

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Babesia in Domestic Ruminants

Cited by 14 publications

References 136 publications

Cysteine Proteinase C1A Paralog Profiles Correspond with Phylogenetic Lineages of Pathogenic Piroplasmids

Cysteine Proteinase C1A Paralog Profiles Correspond with Phylogenetic Lineages of Pathogenic Piroplasmids

Bovine Babesiosis in Turkey: Impact, Current Gaps, and Opportunities for Intervention

The Piroplasmida Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria in farm and companion animals: species compilation, molecular phylogeny, and evolutionary insights

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