National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-13, Inada-cho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
Vet Parasitol. 2011 Jun 10;178(3-4):201-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.01.041. Epub 2011 Jan 26.
Bovine babesiosis is a tick-transmitted hemoprotozoan disease that is mainly caused by Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina and is characterized by significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease is widespread in the northeastern region of Thailand, where an increasingly large part of the livestock is composed of water buffaloes. The present study was therefore conducted to investigate the epidemiological distribution of B. bovis and B. bigemina in water buffaloes in the northeastern region of Thailand. A total of 305 buffalo blood samples were randomly collected from five provinces and simultaneously analyzed by the nested PCR (nPCR) assay, ELISA, and IFAT techniques. The overall prevalence of B. bovis and B. bigemina was 11.2% and 3.6% by nPCR, 14.7% and 5.9% by ELISA, and 16.8% and 5.6% by IFAT, respectively. The high concordance between the molecular and the serological detection tests revealed the specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic assays used for the detection of infection as well as the endemic stability status of the parasites in the surveyed areas. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of the two infections were observed on the basis of age and location but not gender. Our data provide valuable information regarding the epidemiology of B. bovis and B. bigemina infection in water buffaloes in the northeastern region of Thailand which will likely be very beneficial for management and control programs of this disease.
牛巴贝斯虫病是一种由蜱传播的血液原生动物病，主要由巴贝斯虫和双芽巴贝斯虫引起，在全球范围内具有较高的发病率和死亡率。该疾病在泰国东北部广泛流行，那里的牲畜越来越多的是水牛。因此，本研究旨在调查泰国东北部水牛中 B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 的流行病学分布。本研究共从五个省随机采集了 305 份水牛血液样本，同时采用巢式 PCR（nPCR）、ELISA 和 IFAT 技术进行分析。nPCR 检测 B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 的总流行率分别为 11.2%和 3.6%，ELISA 分别为 14.7%和 5.9%，IFAT 分别为 16.8%和 5.6%。分子和血清学检测试验之间的高度一致性表明了用于检测感染的诊断检测方法的特异性和敏感性，以及在调查地区寄生虫的流行稳定状态。根据年龄和地点观察到两种感染的流行率存在统计学显著差异，但与性别无关。我们的数据提供了有关泰国东北部水牛中 B. bovis 和 B. bigemina 感染的流行病学信息，这对于该疾病的管理和控制计划将非常有益。
