Water buffaloes as carriers of Babesia bovis in Argentina.

FERRERI L, BENITEZ D, DOMINGUEZ M, MESPLET M, SCHNITTGER L, FLORIN-CHRISTENSEN M

ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

BLACKWELL PUBLISHING

Año: 2008 p. 149 - 151

0077-8923

Bovine babesiosis caused by the hemoparasite Babesia bovis is often a fatal disease in cattle of tropical and subtropical areas. Climatic conditions in the northeast of Argentina are optimal for the development of its vector tick Riphicephalus microplus and the disease is widespread in this area, causing great economic losses. Efforts are made to eradicate the transmitting tick and,according to strategic goals, a tick free (< 1% farms affected), a tick-infested (eradication obligatory), and an endemic area (control activities voluntary) have been established.1 During the last decade, the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) population has dramatically increased in this region,2 on grounds of the adaptability of these animals to poor pastures and floodable lands. Buffalos are raised together with cattle and are disregarded in the current eradication campaign. As preliminary observations in the field showed that water buffalos could be parasitized by the R. microplus vector tick, we set out to investigate their possible infection by B. bovis.