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Bovine babesiosis is a serious threat to the cattle industry. We prepared blood DNA samples from 13 cattle with clinical babesiosis from the Badulla ( = 8), Jaffna ( = 3), and Kilinochchi ( = 2) districts in Sri Lanka. These DNA samples tested positive in PCR assays specific for ( = 9), ( = 9), and ( = 1). Twelve cattle were positive for and/or One cow was negative for the tested species but was positive for on microscopic examination; the phylogenetic positions of 18S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit III gene sequences suggested that the cow was infected with sp. Mymensingh, which was recently reported from a healthy cow in Bangladesh. We then developed a novel sp. Mymensingh-specific PCR assay and obtained positive results for one other sample. Analysis of gene sequences from the cow with positive -specific PCR results demonstrated that the animal was infected not with but with sp. Hue-1, which was recently reported from asymptomatic cattle in Vietnam. The virulence of sp. Hue-1 is unclear, as the cow was coinfected with and However, sp. Mymensingh probably causes severe clinical babesiosis, as it was the sole species detected in a clinical case. The present study revealed the presence of two bovine species not previously reported in Sri Lanka, plus the first case of severe bovine babesiosis caused by a species other than ,, and .

IntroductionCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka is caused by Leishmania donovani MON 37. Confirmation of diagnosis is done through microscopy, either directly or after in vitro culture. Molecular diagnostic methods are sensitive, but require well established laboratories. Loop mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) is rapid, specific for parasite species-specific DNA amplification, and requires only basic laboratory equipment. The aim of the study was to determine the potential utility of LAMP to diagnose leishmaniasis.MethodsThirty one patients clinically diagnosed as CL were enrolled in the study. Light microscopy, a widely used and universally accepted method was used as the reference standard for confirmation of diagnosis.ResultsLAMP was positive for 19/23 microscopically positive patients, yielding a sensitivity of 82.6%. Specificity of the LAMP assay was 100% and the positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 66% respectively. The average time taken for the LAMP assay was 1 hour and 40 minutes and the cost per sample was about SLR 2 000, which was approximately half the time and cost of a nested PCR (polymerase chain reaction).ConclusionsLAMP could be considered a potentially useful diagnostic tool for leishmaniasis.