An investigation on the presence of apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia in ticks collected from wild mammals in Türkiye

Abstract

Members of the genus Babesia, belonging to the group Apicomplexa, are protozoan parasites transmitted by ticks to humans and animals, infecting the red blood cells of mammals. In the present study, a total of 112 ticks collected from 80 different hosts belonging to 23 mammalian species from 16 provinces in Türkiye were screened for the presence of Babesia using PCR with primers targeting the 411-452 base pair region of the 18S rRNA gene. As a result of molecular analyses, Babesia positivity was detected in 7 ticks (6.25%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of Babesia microti in Ixodes acuminatus ticks collected from Edirne, Balıkesir, and Tokat provinces and Babesia caballi in a Hyalomma species tick collected from Kars province. These findings highlight the presence of Babesia pathogens in ticks collected from wild mammals in Türkiye, underscoring the ecological and epidemiological significance of these species. The study provides valuable data for understanding the spread of tick-borne diseases and for developing control strategies.

Keywords

• Acari
• Babesia
• diseases
• ectoparasites
• Mammalia
• ticks
• zoonoses

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