Quantitative analysis of Babesia ovis infection in sheep and ticks.

A quantitative PCR, based on the gene encoding Babesia ovis Surface Protein D (BoSPD) was developed and applied to investigate the presence of Babesia ovis (B. ovis) in its principal vector, the tick Rhipicephalus bursa (R. bursa), and in the ovine host.

Neospora caninum: Chronic and congenital infection in consecutive pregnancies of mice.

Neospora caninum, the causative agent of bovine neosporosis is the major cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. The principal route of transmission is via in utero infection of the offspring. Congenitally-infected dams remain persistently infected for life and might undergo abortions in consecutive pregnancies.

Molecular detection of Babesia ovis in sheep and ticks using the gene encoding B. ovis surface protein D (BoSPD).

The gene encoding Babesia ovis surface protein D (BoSPD) was cloned from B. ovis cDNA library. This gene encodes a polypeptide chain of 155 amino acids, including a predicted 22 amino acid signal peptide.

Transmission of Babesia ovis by different Rhipicephalus bursa developmental stages and infected blood injection.

In this report, the transmission efficacy of Babesia ovis, the principal causative agent of ovine babesiosis, was studied by infestation of lambs with different Rhipicephalus bursa stages or by injection of infected blood. Infected blood injection induced acute babesiosis in splenectomized lambs, while only mild clinical signs were observed in intact animals. Both splenectomized and intact lambs developed high antibody titer, detectable for at least 180 days post infection.

Artemisone inhibits in vitro and in vivo propagation of Babesia bovis and B. bigemina parasites.

Artemisone was evaluated, in in vitro and in vivo, for control of bovine babesiosis caused by Babesia bigemina and Babesia bovis parasites. In vitro, artemisone reduced parasitemia in a dose-dependent manner: the inhibitory effects increased gradually, reaching a maximum inhibition of 99.6% and 86.

Neospora caninum: in vivo and in vitro treatment with artemisone.

Neosporosis caused by Neospora caninum has global economic, clinical, and epidemiological impacts, mainly in the cattle industry. Currently, there is no useful drug for treatment of neosporosis. This publication is the first to describe the significant benefits that artemisone has on Neospora infections both in vitro and in vivo.

Vaccination of cattle against B. bovis infection with live attenuated parasites and non-viable immunogens.

Susceptible dairy cattle were immunized with attenuated, live calf-derived, in vitro-cultured or biologically cloned Babesia bovis, with non-viable exoantigens, or with recombinant rhoptry-associated protein 1 (rRAP1). Antibody response assessed by the indirect fluorescent assay (IFA) and by the growth inhibition activity in vitro showed that seroconversion correlated with neutralization activity in vitro in all immunized groups, but not with protective immunity in vivo. The protective responses elicited by immunization with completely avirulent biologically cloned live parasites, or by the exoantigens were sufficient for highly susceptible dairy cattle, in which prime immunization with blood-derived attenuated parasites cause clinical babesiosis.