Molecular characterization of in ticks infested on captive lions ().

spp. are protozoan parasites that infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals. The infection occurs by ingestion of an infected tick. This study was carried out to detect and characterize spp. in ticks collected from captive lions () in Thailand based on the partial 18S rRNA gene sequence. A total of 30 ticks were collected and identified as . The collected ticks were separated into 10 tick pools by sex and life stages. Of the 10 tick pools examined, only one (10%) was found to be infected with the species. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis showed a clustering of the partial 18S rRNA gene sequence like that of from the GenBank database. This is the first report of in ticks collected from captive lions in Thailand. Our results indicated that may be a possible vector of feline in Thailand.