title: A study of an enzootic focus of sheep babesiosis (Babesia ovis, Babes, 1892).
abstract: Morbidity and mortality due to Babesia ovis in sheep flocks grazing in an enzootic area of Israel occur yearly, about 2 weeks after detection of adult Rhipicephalus bursa ticks on the animals. Disease incidence peaks in May, but lasts throughout the active period of the adult ticks in the spring-summer months of April-July. No clinical cases of babesiosis have been registered during the active period of the preimaginal stages of R. bursa, from October to February. Incidence of parasitaemia during the spring-summer months was variable, ranging between 2 and 25%. However, in the winter months the incidence of parasitaemia in hoggets increased considerably, reaching 4-60% of the animals. A positive serological response to B. ovis was found in 84.5% of the hoggets and 88.9% of the ewes. In ewes, the prevalence of the serological response showed no marked seasonal variations. Colostral sera of 67.5% and 75% of the ewes and hoggets, respectively, were serologically positive for B. ovis. No antibodies were detected in the sera of lambs less than 3-4 months of age. The epizootiology of sheep babesiosis appears to differ from that of bovine babesiosis.
authors: Hachaklait, Gedera, Israel.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Yeruham
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Hadani
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Galker
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D001403:Babesia / Q000276:immunology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D012621:Seasons; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan