First detection and molecular identification of Babesia gibsoni in two dogs from the Aydın Province of Turkey

Authors : Nuran AYSUL, Kerem URAL, Bülent ULUTAŞ, Hasan EREN, Tülin KARAGENÇ

Pages : 226-229

Doi:10.3906/vet-1201-45

View : 21 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Small insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(1-3 µm in diameter, ring, oval, or comma shaped); piroplasms suggestive of Babesia spp. were observed upon microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears from a 3.5-year-old American Pit Bull Terrier with clinical signs of pyrexia, weakness, mucous membrane pallor, and depression living in Aydın, Turkey, in February, 2009. To confirm the presence and to identify the species of Babesia spp., a polymerase chain reaction insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(PCR); technique was performed using primers amplifying a 670 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia gibsoni and the PCR products were analyzed by sequencing. The nucleotide sequence was compared to the sequences available in GenBank using the nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool program. The results indicated a 99% similarity with sequences of Babesia gibsoni. A 2-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier with no signs of any diseases was also confirmed to be infected with B. gibsoni using the same methods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of B. gibsoni in Aydın, Turkey.
Keywords : Key words Babesia gibsoni, dog, PCR, Turkey