TA serosurvey has been conducted in Northern and Central Italy to investigate the presence in humans of antibodies against zoonotic Babesia and Theileria species. The study focused on a total of 432 volunteers, of which 290 were persistently exposed to tick bites because of their jobs (forester employees, livestock keepers, veterinary practitioners, farmers and hunters) and 142 resident in the ...

Essential oils from plants used in traditional medicine are known as a rich source of chemically diverse compounds with specific biological activities. Achillea millefolium essential oil (AEO) was screened for vitro activity against Babesia canis. The AEO obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-MS revealed the presence 47 oil. Those...

To verify the presence of cross-reaction among leishmaniosis, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis in serological diagnostics used in human visceral leishmaniasis control programs, serum samples from leishmaniasis endemic and non-endemic areas were collected and tested by Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFAT) and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All serum samples from endemic areas were positiv...

BACKGROUND Canine babesiosis is an emerging or re-emerging disease caused by Babesia and Theileria protozoans, also called piroplasms, transmitted by Ixodid ticks. In Europe, four etiological agents have been identified to date, namely Babesia canis, B. vogeli, B. gibsoni and Theileria annae. France has a high prevalence of canine babesiosis and two tick species, Dermacentor reticulatus and Rhi...

Background: Ticks are of great importance in transmission various canine tick borne diseases. Several characteristics ticks make them outstanding vectors pathogenic agents, the wide host range and slow feeding habit along with tendency to feed on several hosts during life cycle ensures ample opportunity acquire transmit pathogens. Methods: This study focuses status molecular detection haemopara...

African lion ( Panthera leo ) numbers are decreasing rapidly and populations are becoming smaller and more fragmented. Infectious diseases are one of numerous issues threatening free-ranging lion populations, and low-density populations are particularly at risk. We collected data on the prevalence and diversity of viral and parasitic pathogens in a small lion population in eastern Botswana. Dur...

A leading bisthiazolium drug, T16, designed to mimic choline, was shown to exert potent antibabesial activity, with 50% inhibitory concentrations of 28 and 7 nM against Babesia divergens and B. canis, respectively. T16 accumulated inside Babesia-infected erythrocytes (cellular accumulation ratio, >60) by a saturable process with an apparent K(m) of 0.65 microM. Subcellular fractionation of Babe...