Babesiosis of cattle

• Published in: Parasitology Vol. 129; no. S1; pp. S247 - S269
• Main Authors: BOCK, R., JACKSON, L., DE VOS, A., JORGENSEN, W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2004
• Subjects: Animals; Arachnid Vectors - parasitology; Babesia; Babesia - classification; Babesia - immunology; Babesia - physiology; Babesiosis - epidemiology; Babesiosis - parasitology; Babesiosis - prevention & control; Babesiosis - veterinary; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - parasitology; Cattle Diseases - prevention & control; Disease; Disease transmission; Epidemiology; intracellular protozoa; Investigations; ixodid tick; Mortality; Parasites; Parasitic diseases; Protozoan Vaccines - adverse effects; Protozoan Vaccines - standards; Ticks - parasitology; Vaccination - adverse effects; Vaccination - standards; Vaccination - veterinary; vaccine; epidemiology; vaccine; intracellular protozoa; ixodid tick; Babesia
• ISSN: 0031-1820; 1469-8161
• DOI: 10.1017/S0031182004005190

Tick fever or cattle fever (babesiosis) is economically the most important arthropod-borne disease of cattle worldwide with vast areas of Australia, Africa, South and Central America and the United States continuously under threat. Tick fever was the first disease for which transmission by an arthropod to a mammal was implicated at the turn of the twentieth century and is the first disease to be eradicated from a continent (North America). This review describes the biology of Babesia spp. in the host and the tick, the scale of the problem to the cattle industry, the various components of control programmes, epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunity, vaccination and future research. The emphasis is on Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina.