Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026
Urban surveillance of Babesia spp. in dogs and cats: molecular evidence from Changsha, China.
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Quan Jingwei, Mo Ziran, Ruan Xingyu, Jiang Xu, Li Junyan, Luo Xiaoping, Wang Jia, Yang Wenbin, Hu Wei
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Babesiosis is a globally relevant tick-borne disease affecting both animals and humans. However, data on Babesia spp. in companion animals remain limited in Changsha, a rapidly urbanizing city in central China with high human-animal contact. This study addresses this gap by characterizing the prevalence and genetic diversity of Babesia spp. in local dogs and cats, providing insights into urban transmission dynamics and the public health relevance of B. microti detection in companion animals.
METHODS: A total of 1,258 blood samples from dogs and cats were collected in Changsha between 2021 and 2022. Babesia spp. were detected by nested PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene, and phylogenetic and haplotype analyses were performed to assess genetic diversity and sequence relatedness among the identified isolates.
RESULTS: Babesia spp. were detected in 4.85% (61/1,258) of the samples, with infection rates of 5.19% in cats and 4.24% in dogs. B. gibsoni was the predominant species in both hosts, and phylogenetic analysis showed high sequence similarity to Asian canine strains. A total of 19 B. gibsoni haplotypes were identified, with Hap_1 being the most prevalent and distributed across multiple provinces. In addition, B. microti was detected in feline blood samples for the first time in China. These sequences clustered with tick-derived strains from the United States, and six haplotypes were identified, including Hap_4, a lineage previously reported in humans and ticks.
CONCLUSION: This study presents the first molecular evidence of B. microti infection in pet cats in China, alongside the detection of B. gibsoni in both dogs and cats with notable haplotype diversity. The seasonal variation in infection rates, particularly the increase in autumn, suggests a potential influence of seasonal tick activity on transmission dynamics. These findings underscore the epidemiological relevance of companion animals in urban tick-borne piroplasm surveillance and support further investigation of local tick vectors and reservoir hosts, particularly in relation to the potential public health relevance of B. microti.
METHODS: A total of 1,258 blood samples from dogs and cats were collected in Changsha between 2021 and 2022. Babesia spp. were detected by nested PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene, and phylogenetic and haplotype analyses were performed to assess genetic diversity and sequence relatedness among the identified isolates.
RESULTS: Babesia spp. were detected in 4.85% (61/1,258) of the samples, with infection rates of 5.19% in cats and 4.24% in dogs. B. gibsoni was the predominant species in both hosts, and phylogenetic analysis showed high sequence similarity to Asian canine strains. A total of 19 B. gibsoni haplotypes were identified, with Hap_1 being the most prevalent and distributed across multiple provinces. In addition, B. microti was detected in feline blood samples for the first time in China. These sequences clustered with tick-derived strains from the United States, and six haplotypes were identified, including Hap_4, a lineage previously reported in humans and ticks.
CONCLUSION: This study presents the first molecular evidence of B. microti infection in pet cats in China, alongside the detection of B. gibsoni in both dogs and cats with notable haplotype diversity. The seasonal variation in infection rates, particularly the increase in autumn, suggests a potential influence of seasonal tick activity on transmission dynamics. These findings underscore the epidemiological relevance of companion animals in urban tick-borne piroplasm surveillance and support further investigation of local tick vectors and reservoir hosts, particularly in relation to the potential public health relevance of B. microti.