Biomolecular Diagnostic Laboratory, ITQB/IBET, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Apt 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal.
Vet Parasitol. 2009 Dec 3;166(1-2):66-72. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.07.031. Epub 2009 Jul 23.
Incidence of bovine babesiosis in Portugal is currently unknown. In this study, a first survey of Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina infection in cattle was carried out using blood samples from 406 clinically healthy individuals from different districts from Central and Southern regions of Portugal and analyzed by indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). Overall, serological testing revealed that 79% and 52% of cattle were positive for B. bovis and B. bigemina antibodies, respectively, whereas nPCR testing detected 71% and 34% cattle infected with B. bovis and B. bigemina protozoan, respectively. This is the first report of the prevalence of B. bovis and B. bigemina in cattle obtained by serological and DNA analysis studies in Central and Southern regions of Portugal. These data suggests high incidence of Babesia sp. infection in Portugal and can be used for designing adequate control programs.
葡萄牙牛巴贝斯虫病的发病率目前尚不清楚。本研究采用间接酶联免疫吸附试验（iELISA）和巢式聚合酶链反应（nPCR）对来自葡萄牙中南部不同地区的 406 头临床健康个体的血液样本进行了首次牛巴贝斯虫和双芽巴贝斯虫感染调查。总血清学检测结果显示，B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 抗体阳性率分别为 79%和 52%，而 nPCR 检测结果显示，B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 原虫感染率分别为 71%和 34%。这是葡萄牙中南部地区通过血清学和 DNA 分析研究首次报道 B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 的流行情况。这些数据表明，葡萄牙巴贝斯虫属感染的发病率很高，可用于制定适当的控制计划。
