Scientists have molecularly characterized Babesia canis canis isolates from naturally infected dogs in Poland.

“Babesia canis has generally been considered the only large Babesia to infect dogs,” Lukasz Adaszek and Stanislaw Winiarczyka, of the Agricultural University of Lublin, Poland, describe.

The investigators amplified and sequenced a portion of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene to detect and characterize B. canis canis in venous blood samples from 76 Babesia-symptomatic dogs.

Specifically, they amplified a 559-bp fragment of the B. canis canis 18S rRNA gene y PCR. Then they digested the PCR products with HincII restriction enzyme, and classified the isolates according to whether they were cut (group A) or not (group B) by this endonuclease.

The results, published online on December 27th in Veterinary Parasitology, showed that sequencing of the PCR products from the isolates led to the identification of seven sequence variants (four in group A, and three in group B).

“Sequences were compared with GenBank sequences, and alignments showed that all B. canis canis isolates from Europe may be classified into groups A or B as defined in our study,” Adaszek and Winiarczyka highlight.

References

• Vet Parasitol, available online 27 December 2007
  Article in Press, Corrected Proof
  doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2007.12.024