Diversity of Babesia Infecting European sheep ticks (Ixodes ricinus).
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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Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Petrovec
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Avsic-Zupanc
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D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D005060:Europe; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D018884:Ixodes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep / Q000469:parasitology