A Genotypically Unique Babesia gibsoni-like Parasite Recovered From a Dog in Oklahoma

• Published in: The Journal of parasitology Vol. 87; no. 2; pp. 437 - 438
• Main Authors: Kocan, A. Alan, Kjemtrup, Anne, Meinkoth, J, Whitworth, Lisa C, Murphy, G. L, Decker, L, Lorenz, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS American Society of Parasitologists 01.04.2001; Allen Press Inc
• Subjects: Anemia; Animals; Babesia - classification; Babesia - genetics; Babesia - isolation & purification; Babesia gibsoni; Babesiosis; Babesiosis - parasitology; Babesiosis - veterinary; Biological and medical sciences; Canines; DNA; DNA polymerase; Dog Diseases - parasitology; Dogs; Domestic animals; Enzymes; Erythrocytes - parasitology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; Geographical distribution; Infections; Nucleotide sequence; Nucleotide sequences; Nucleotides; Oklahoma; Organisms; Parasites; Parasitology; Plasmids; Protozoa; RESEARCH NOTE; Research Notes; Ribosomal DNA; RNA, Protozoan - chemistry; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - analysis; rRNA 18S; rRNA genes; Systematics. Geographical distribution. Morphology. Cytology; Thrombocytopenia; Veterinary medicine; United States; North America; Oklahoma; America; California; Asia; United States > US; Fissipedia; Protozoa; Host parasite relation; Apicomplexa; Carnivora; Protozoal disease; Nucleotide sequence; Taxonomy; Ribosomal DNA; Chemotaxonomy; Parasite; Zoopathogen; Parasitosis; Babesiasis; 18S-RNA; Infection; Vertebrata; Babesia gibsoni; Mammalia; Domestic animal; Isolation; Specific identification; Dog
• ISSN: 0022-3395; 1937-2345
• DOI: 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[0437:AGUBGL]2.0.CO;2

A small Babesia gibsoni-like parasite was identified and isolated as the cause of clinical babesiosis in a dog from Oklahoma. Because this was potentially the first documented case of B. gibsoni infection in Oklahoma, further characterization was warranted, and the 18S nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was sequenced. Sequence comparison with other piroplasms from dogs showed significant nucleotide sequence differences between this isolate and both B. canis and B. gibsoni. These findings demonstrate that in domestic dogs in North America there are at least 2 “small” B. gibsoni-like organisms with distinct nucleotide sequences and that the geographic distribution of the “small” canine Babesia species may be wider than previously recognized.