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Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2022is a genus of intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites belonging to the exclusively parasitic phylum Apicomplexa [...].
is a genus of intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites belonging to the exclusively parasitic phylum Apicomplexa [...].
PubMed: 35456074
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040399 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022and are apicomplexan parasites that cause established and emerging diseases in humans, domestic and wild animals. These protozoans are transmitted by Ixodid ticks... (Review)
Review
and are apicomplexan parasites that cause established and emerging diseases in humans, domestic and wild animals. These protozoans are transmitted by Ixodid ticks causing babesiosis or theileriosis, both characterized by fever, hemolytic anemia, jaundice, and splenomegaly. In North America (NA), the most common species affecting humans is , which is distributed in the Northeastern and Upper Midwestern United States (US), where the tick vector is established. In livestock, and are the most important pathogens causing bovine babesiosis in tropical regions of Mexico. Despite efforts toward eradication of their tick vector, , and present a constant threat of being reintroduced into the southern US and represent a continuous concern for the US cattle industry. Occasional outbreaks of , and have occurred in horses and cattle, respectively, in the US, with significant economic implications for livestock including quarantine, production loss, and euthanasia of infected animals. In addition, a new species, , has been recently discovered in horses from the Mexico-US border. Domestic dogs are hosts to at least four species of in NA that may result in clinical disease that ranges from subclinical to acute, severe anemia. Herein we review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and epidemiology of the most important diseases caused by and to humans, domestic and wild animals in Canada, the US, and Mexico.
PubMed: 35215111
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020168 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021Parasites from diverse hosts morphologically identified as have previously been shown to belong to a paraphyletic species complex. With a growing number of reports of... (Review)
Review
Parasites from diverse hosts morphologically identified as have previously been shown to belong to a paraphyletic species complex. With a growing number of reports of -like parasites from across the world, this paper seeks to report on the current knowledge of the diversity of this species complex. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences obtained from GenBank shows that the diversity of the species complex has markedly increased and now encompasses at least five distinct clades. This cryptic diversity calls into question much of our current knowledge of the life cycle of these parasites, as many biological studies were conducted before DNA sequencing technology was available. In many cases, it is uncertain which -like parasite was studied because parasites from different clades may occur sympatrically and even share the same host. Progress can only be made if future studies are conducted with careful attention to parasite identification and PCR primer specificity.
PubMed: 34578201
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091168 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2019The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, . is transmitted to humans... (Review)
Review
The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, . is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of ticks, which are vectors for a number of other pathogens. Other routes of transmission are blood transfusion and in rare cases of mother-to-foetus transmission, through the placenta. This review discusses the current literature on mammalian coinfection with and , the causative agent Lyme disease.
PubMed: 31370180
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8030117 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022The protozoon is a blood parasite transmitted by hard ticks and commonly parasitizes ruminants such as cattle, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. Babesiosis, the disease... (Review)
Review
The protozoon is a blood parasite transmitted by hard ticks and commonly parasitizes ruminants such as cattle, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. Babesiosis, the disease caused by infection, has been considered a potential threat to ruminant production due to the grave and enormous impact it brings. About 125 million ruminants are at risk of babesiosis in Southeast Asia (SEA), a region composed of 11 countries. In recent decades, molecular-based diagnostic platforms, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, have been a reliable and broadly employed tool in detection. In this article, the authors compiled and summarized the molecular studies conducted on ruminant babesiosis and mapped the species, including , , , sp. Mymensingh, sp. Hue, and , and determined the host diversity of ruminant in SEA.
PubMed: 36015035
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080915 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021Babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus . With its increasing incidence worldwide and the risk of human-to-human... (Review)
Review
Babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus . With its increasing incidence worldwide and the risk of human-to-human transmission through blood transfusion, babesiosis is becoming a rising public health concern. The current arsenal for the treatment of human babesiosis is limited and consists of combinations of atovaquone and azithromycin or clindamycin and quinine. These combination therapies were not designed based on biological criteria unique to parasites, but were rather repurposed based on their well-established efficacy against other apicomplexan parasites. However, these compounds are associated with mild or severe adverse events and a rapid emergence of drug resistance, thus highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies that are specifically tailored to parasites. Herein, we review ongoing babesiosis therapeutic and management strategies and their limitations, and further review current efforts to develop new, effective, and safer therapies for the treatment of this disease.
PubMed: 34578153
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091120 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2021The effects of current and future global warming on the distribution and activity of the primary ixodid vectors of human babesiosis (caused by , and ) are discussed.... (Review)
Review
The effects of current and future global warming on the distribution and activity of the primary ixodid vectors of human babesiosis (caused by , and ) are discussed. There is clear evidence that the distributions of both , the vector in Europe, and in North America have been impacted by the changing climate, with increasing temperatures resulting in the northwards expansion of tick populations and the occurrence of at higher altitudes. , which replaces in Eurasia and temperate Asia, is presumed to be the babesiosis vector in China and Japan, but this tick species has not yet been confirmed as the vector of either human or animal babesiosis. There is no definite evidence, as yet, of global warming having an effect on the occurrence of human babesiosis, but models suggest that it is only a matter of time before cases occur further north than they do at present.
PubMed: 34832586
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111430 -
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association... Oct 2021
Topics: Aged; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Babesia microti; Babesiosis; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Lyme Disease; Male
PubMed: 34663609
DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.201983-f -
Parasites & Vectors Nov 2022The Babesia microti-like parasite is an emerging tick-borne piroplasm that has been detected in a range of hosts worldwide. Babesia vulpes, which is found in dogs and...
BACKGROUND
The Babesia microti-like parasite is an emerging tick-borne piroplasm that has been detected in a range of hosts worldwide. Babesia vulpes, which is found in dogs and foxes, has been reclassified from B. microti-like parasites. The relationships among these B. microti-like parasites and B. vulpes with respect to host range and geographical origin have not been elucidated.
METHODS
Blood samples were collected from 27 raccoon dogs in South Korea and used to screen for B. microti-like parasites based on a PCR assay targeting the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia. For comparative purposes, in addition to 18S rRNA sequences from nine raccoon dogs, we also analyzed 18S rRNA sequences from B. microti-like parasites infecting hosts in different geographical regions worldwide obtained from the GenBank database, giving 123 sequences in total. The genetic variation and evolutionary relationships among these sequences were examined based on analyses using DnaSP, MEGA, Arlequine, and BEAST software.
RESULTS
Babesia microti-like parasites were identified in nine raccoon dogs and found to be related to B. vulpes obtained from Spanish dogs. Among the 123 sequences from 14 countries and various hosts, we identified 43 haplotypes with high genetic variance. Based on the genetic variance and phylogenetic analyses, we established that the B. microti-like parasites isolated in different geographical regions and from hosts belonging to five orders showed higher among-population variation than within-population variation. Babesia vulpes parasites infecting carnivore hosts, including raccoon dogs, foxes, skunks and dogs, appear to be genetically distinct from B. microti-like parasites infecting hosts belonging to the other orders.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study demonstrated the genetic variation and evolutionary relationships among 18S rRNA sequences obtained from blood samples collected from various hosts and different geographical regions. Babesia vulpes was identified from raccoon dogs in South Korea. In addition, higher genetic variations were observed among populations of different hosts and geographical origins and, in particular, low connectivity was observed among host populations in the order Carnivora and those in other orders. These results suggest the B. vulpes, a piroplasmid species pathogenic in domestic dogs and wild canines, is genetically and evolutionarily different from B. microti-like parasites.
Topics: Animals; Babesia; Babesia microti; Parasites; Babesiosis; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Foxes; Phylogeny; Raccoon Dogs
PubMed: 36329533
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05528-9