title: First report of Babesia bigemina infection in white yaks in China.
abstract: White yaks, a unique yak breed and the pearl of the plateau, only live in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County (TTAC), Gansu Province, northwest China, contributing significantly to local economy. However, there was no information on the prevalence of Babesia bigemina in white yaks. In this study, a total of 974 serum samples collected from white yaks in TTAC were examined for specific antibodies against B. bigemina using a commercially available ELISA kit. The overall seroprevalence of B. bigemina in white yaks was 17.76% (173/974). A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors associated with B. bigemina seroprevalence, and the results indicated that age, gender and the numbers of pregnancies of white yaks were not the significant risk factors. However, the white yaks in spring (OR=3.523, 95% CI=1.899-6.538, P<0.001) and summer (OR=3.439, 95% CI=1.909-6.193, P<0.001) encountered higher risk of being exposed to B. bigemina than that in winter. Thus, season was considered as a risk factor associated with B. bigemina infection. This is the first survey of B. bigemina seroprevalence in white yaks in China, which extends the host range for B. bigemina and provides useful information for controlling B. bigemina infection in white yaks.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.
authors.forename: Si-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China.
authors.forename: Jin-Lei
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230000, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong-Rui
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230000, PR China.
authors.forename: Qi-Dong
authors.initials: QD
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan Province 410128, PR China.
authors.forename: Ming-Yang
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Xuan
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China. Electronic address: zhoudonghui@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Dong-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130118, PR China. Electronic address: xingquanzhu1@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011996:Records; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D044967:Serum / Q000469:parasitology
keywords: Babesia bigemina; Risk factors; Seroprevalence; Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County; White yaks