First Molecular Detection of Babesia canis vogeli in Dogs and Rhipicephalus sanguineus from Mexico - Abstract
At the global level, three distinct subspecies for B. canis have been identified: B. caniscanis in Europe; B. canisrossi in Africa, while in America the presence of B. canis vogeli has been demonstrated. However, B. canisrossi has recently been reported in the USA and B. canis vogeli in South Africa and Europe. In order to optimize two methods for the molecular detection of the subspecies of canine babesiosis in Mexico from blood samples and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks, 30 blood samples and 18 tick specimens were collected in dogs with clinical manifestations compatible with canine babesiosis and a history of exposure to ticks. The analysis of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms in PCR-amplified and digested DNA with restriction enzyme TaqI and HinfI (PCR-RFLP) allowed detection of the corresponding pattern for the B. canis vogeli subspecies (203 bp, 171 bp and 26 bp) in two blood samples and in one of the specimens of ticks subject to the PCR-RFLP analysis. With the nested PCR assay, the fragment of interest (192 bp) was detected in three blood samples and in three of the ticks that were analyzed for the B. canis vogeli subspecies. The presence of B. canis in Mexico had already been demonstrated microscopically, however, so far this is the first report on the molecular detection of the subspecies B. canis vogeli in our country and confirmed by DNA sequencing.