Canine Babesiosis and Therapy Options – A Review

Abstract Babesiosis is a disease caused by intraerythrocytic protozoal parasites, which occurs in animals and humans. In dogs, babesiosis can be caused by eight species of Babesia gene: i.e., B. canis , B. rossi , B. vogeli , B. coco , B. gibsoni , B. conradae , B. , and B. negevi , which are bound to certain geographical areas. The disease has a focal nature and its transmission depends mainly on vectors, which are ticks of various species. Due to transstadial, and transovarial transmission, babesiosis is able to persist in natural foci in several generations of ticks, even without the presence of a susceptible host. Typical clinical signs associated with canine babesiosis are: fever, apathy, weakness, pale mucous membranes, icterus and hemoglobinuria. The disease can have an acute or peracute course, and subclinical and subacute infections have also been described. The clinical manifestations of babesiosis may vary depending on the particular species and strains, and their specific virulence, but also depending on factors that determine the host’s response to infection, such as age, individual immune status, and the presence of concurrent infections or other diseases. Medicines, from the group of antiprotozoans, a selected group of antibiotics, or their combinations are used for therapy. There are differences in the therapy of babesiosis depending on the Babesia species, the animal is often cured of the acute phase, but the parasite remains in the organism.