Tick Borne Trouble: Uncovering Babesiosis in Cattle

INTRODUCTION: Viktor Babes (1888) in Rumania was the first to describe Babesia sp. in the blood of cattle and sheep. By 1930, Babesia sp. had been described in all of domestic animals. Babesiosis is caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan parasite of the genus Babesia that infects a wide range of domestic animals, wild animals & occasionally man. The disease is a tick borne disease, mainly transmitted by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) ticks (in B. bovis, B. bigemina), Ixodes Ricinus (in B.divergens). The geographical distribution of the parasite is world-wide (tropical & subtropical region). The major economic impact of babesiosis is on the cattle industry.