Babesia gibsoni infection in three dogs in Victoria

Muhlnickel, C.J., Jefferies, R., Morgan-Ryan, U.M. and Irwin, P.J. (2002) Babesia gibsoni infection in three dogs in Victoria. Australian Veterinary Journal, 80 (10). pp. 606-610.

Abstract

Small intraerythrocytic parasites were observed in the blood of three related male American Pit Bull Terriers. Two of the dogs, both less than 1-year-old, were anaemic at the time of initial examination and the third, an adult and sire of the two younger dogs, had a normal haemogram and low parasitaemia. The morphological appearance of the erythrocyte inclusions, analysis of a 450-bp region of the 18S rRNA gene and antibody titres provided evidence that this parasite was Babesia gibsoni, a species not previously reported in Australia.