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First detection of Babesia occultans in Hyalomma ticks from Tunisia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2011

A. ROS-GARCÍA ,
Y. M'GHIRBI ,
A. BOUATTOUR  and
A. HURTADO
A. ROS-GARCÍA
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health, NEIKER – Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Berreaga 1, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
Y. M'GHIRBI
Affiliation:
Service d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia
A. BOUATTOUR
Affiliation:
Service d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 1002 Tunis, Tunisia
A. HURTADO*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health, NEIKER – Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Berreaga 1, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Animal Health, NEIKER – Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Berreaga 1, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain. Tel: +34 944034300. Fax: +34 944034310. E-mail: ahurtado@neiker.net
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Summary

Descriptions of Babesia occultans have previously been restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we report the finding, for the first time, of this low or non-pathogenic bovine Babesia species in Tunisia, northern Africa. B. occultans DNA was detected by molecular methods in Hyalomma marginatum unfed ticks collected in 3 bioclimatic regions of Tunisia. The near-full-length 18S rRNA gene was sequenced and compared with related sequences retrieved from GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that other sequences deposited as Babesia sp. could also correspond to B. occultans, suggesting that this species may have a wide distribution in Mediterranean and Asiatic regions, and not only in sub-Saharan Africa as previously described. A B. occultans-specific Reverse Line Blot (RLB) oligonucleotide probe was designed for future epidemiological studies that would help to clarify this possibility.

Keywords

Babesia occultanstickspiroplasmsRLBTunisiaHyalomma18S rRNA gene
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 138 , Issue 5 , April 2011 , pp. 578 - 582
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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