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. 2001 Sep;39(9):3395-7.
doi: 10.1128/JCM.39.9.3395-3397.2001.

Diversity of Babesia Infecting European sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus)

D Duh  1 , M Petrovec, T Avsic-Zupanc
Affiliations

Diversity of Babesia Infecting European sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus)

D Duh et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Sep.

Abstract

Questing Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) adult and nymphal ticks collected in various parts of Slovenia were tested for the presence of babesial parasites with a PCR assay based on the nuclear small subunit rRNA gene (nss-ribosomal DNA [rDNA]). Thirteen of 135 ticks were found to contain babesial DNA. Sequence determination and analysis of amplified portions of nss-rDNA revealed their identity with Babesia microti and a high degree of homology with Babesia odocoilei and Babesia divergens. The results of this study represent the first genetic evidence of B. microti and B. divergens-like parasites in I. ricinus ticks in Europe.

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Figures

FIG. 1
FIG. 1
Phylogenetic relationships among Babesia species and tested samples inferred from multiple sequence alignment of 190 and 364 bp (primer sequences were removed) of nss-rDNA. (a) Samples 4a, 5a, 6a, and 7a were obtained by amplification with the BAB-1 and -4 primers. (b) Samples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were obtained by amplification with the PIRO-A and -B primers. The sequences obtained were aligned with those of B. divergens (GenBank accession no. U07885), B. odocoilei (U16369), B. caballi (Z15104), B. bigemina (X59607), B. canis (L19079), B. microti (M93660, U09833), B. gibsoni (AF158702), B. rodhaini (M87565), and Plasmodium falciparum (M19172). Units at the bottom of the phylogenetic tree indicate the percentage of nucleotide substitutions.
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