Assessing bovine babesiosis in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks and 3 to 9-month-old cattle in the middle Magdalena region, Colombia

Abstract

Babesia sp. is a protozoan hemoparasite that affects livestock worldwide. The Colombian Middle Magdalena is an enzootic region for babesiosis, but there is no previous research providing detail on its transmission cycle. This study aims to assess some Babesia sp. infection indicators in cattle and ticks from the area, by using direct microscopic and molecular techniques to detect the infection. In the cattle, 59.9% and 3.4 % positivity values for B. bigemina and mixed infection (B. bovis + B. bigemina) were found respectively. In ticks, the positivity of B. bigemina reached 79.2% and 9.4% for the mixed infection. The degree of infestation in the region was 3.2 ticks per bovine. There was positive correlation between tick control acaricide frequencies and infestation in bovines. This leads us to infer that control periodicity greater than 90 days, in stable zones, is an abiotic factor that benefits the acquisition of protective immunity in calves, the natural control of the infection and eventual disease absence. It is necessary to monitor the disease by applying new entomological and parasitological indicators showing the complexity of this phenomenon.

Assessment of bacterial diversity of Rhipicephalus microplus ticks from two livestock agroecosystems in Antioquia, Colombia

“…The largest cattle population is raised in the department of Antioquia, where the Uraba, Northern, and Middle Magdalena regions stand out as the most significant producers at a department level [13]. Although R. microplus is present in these regions [14], its role as a biological vector of tickborne diseases is not well understood yet. Considering the representativeness of the North and Middle Magdalena regions in the livestock sector of Antioquia, this study was aimed at assessing the bacterial diversity in salivary glands and gut of R. microplus female ticks collected in such regions.…”

“…Although R . microplus is present in these regions [ 14 ], its role as a biological vector of tick-borne diseases is not well understood yet. Considering the representativeness of the North and Middle Magdalena regions in the livestock sector of Antioquia, this study was aimed at assessing the bacterial diversity in salivary glands and gut of R .…”

Dynamics of natural infection by Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina in dairy cattle from an enzootic instability area in Northeastern Brazil

“…This reduced severity is due to the increased erythropoietic activity of the bone marrow, the protective function of fetal hemoglobin and the rapid activity of innate immunity through macrophages and Natural Killer (NK) cells; macrophages process and present the Babesia spp. antigens for CD4 + cells, in addition to producing cytokines, such as INF-γ, TNF-α and interleukins 1 and 12 (BOCK et al, 2004;BENAVIDES et al, 2006;RÍOS-TOBÓN et al, 2014).…”

“…Bovine babesiosis is caused by Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina, which are cattle parasites that exist in almost all Brazilian territories; the Riphicephalus (Boophilus) microplus tick is a vector for these parasites (ESTRADA-PENÃ et al, 2006;RÍOS-TOBÓN et al, 2014). In Brazil, the seroprevalence rates of babesiosis vary from 27.9% to 100%, and the epidemiological condition for this disease is related to the climatic conditions and management systems that directly affect the vector cycle (ALVES, 1987;SANTOS et al, 2001;RÍOS-TOBÓN et al, 2014). In this panorama, three different areas are observed: disease-free areas, areas of enzootic stability and areas of enzootic instability .…”

Prevalence of babesiosis in Sanga cattle in the Ohangwena region of Namibia

“…This happens if the cattle have continuously been exposed to the parasites. By twelve months, the maternal antibodies would have diminished and no antibodies would be detected if there was no exposure (Ekici and Sevinc 2009;Goff et al 2002;Ríos-Tobón and Gutiérrez-Builes 2014).…”