Water Buffalos as Carriers of Babesia bovis in Argentina

Abstract

The tick-transmitted hemoprotozoan Babesia bovis is a major causative agent of bovine babesiosis, an often fatal disease of cattle. The disease is widespread in the northeastern region of Argentina, where an increasing part of the livestock is composed of water buffalos. Although clinical cases of buffalo babesiosis have not been reported so far, the pathogen-transmitting tick vector has been occasionally observed by us to be feeding on water buffalos. We therefore set out to examine whether buffalos may constitute a reservoir of the parasite. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) detected B. bovis-specific antibodies in 20% of investigated buffalos (21/103), while direct detection of the pathogen by nested PCR was demonstrated in 34% of the animals (35/103). In one field, more than 60% of investigated animals (22/36) tested positive by nested PCR. These results are discussed in the context of buffalo babesiosis reported in other countries and in view of the currently effected control measures against bovine babesiosis in the region.

Molecular Detection of Natural Babesia bovis Infection from Clinically Infected and Apparently Healthy Water Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) and Crossbred Cattle

“…Moreover, the prevalence in cattle with clinical signs 11/20 (55%) was higher than the prevalence in buffaloes with clinical signs 4/14 (28.6%). These finding suggest that water buffaloes are likely to have a natural tolerance to the parasite and/or more likely to be persistent carriers which were not picked up by microscopy, this comes in context with what was previously found [33] who stated that water buffaloes seem to be unapparent carriers for B. bovis. Out of 19 apparently healthy cattle and buffaloes, PCR detect 15 (78.9%) while ME identified only 5 (26.3%) as B. bovisinfected.…”

Validation and Field Evaluation of a Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Diagnosis of Babesia bovis Infections in Argentina

“…Accordingly, a preliminary version of the rMSA-2c cELISA presented proved useful for the detection of anti-B. bovis antibodies in water buffaloes, a type of cattle with increasing popularity in tick-infested regions of Argentina and Brazil (9,14).…”

Prevalência sorológica e molecular de Babesia bovis e Babesia bigemina em búfalos (Bubalus bubalis) na Ilha de Marajó, Pará

“…Nossos resultados demonstram que a melhor alternativa em estudos sanitários e levantamentos epidemiológicos da babesiose bubalina seria a combinação entre as duas técnicas. Na Argentina, Ferreri et al (2008) observaram na província de Corrientes que, de 103 amostras de búfalos examinadas para B. bovis, apenas 35 (34%) tiveram reação positiva, enquanto um significativo número de amostras positivas na PCR foram detectadas em amostras da província de Lavalle 22/36 (61%). O hábito dos bubalinos manterem--se submersos na água pode é a explicação mais aceitável para a baixa prevalência de carrapatos e, consequentimente Babesia sp.…”