An outbreak of bovine babesiosis in February, 2019, triggered by above average winter temperatures in southern England a
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(2020) 13:305 Johnson et al. Parasites Vectors https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04174-3
Open Access
SHORT REPORT
An outbreak of bovine babesiosis in February, 2019, triggered by above average winter temperatures in southern England and co‑infection with Babesia divergens and Anaplasma phagocytophilum Nicholas Johnson1,2* , L. Paul Phipps1, Harriet McFadzean3 and Alex M. Barlow4
Abstract Background: Bovine babesiosis, commonly known as redwater fever, is a sporadic tick-borne disease in the United Kingdom. Outbreaks occur during the spring, summer and autumn months when ticks are active. This study reports the findings of an investigation of an outbreak of bovine babesiosis during the winter month of February, 2019. Methods: DNA from blood, organ and tick samples taken from affected cattle were tested for the presence of piroplasm and Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA using PCRs directed to the 18S rRNA gene and msp2 gene respectively. The species of piroplasm was confirmed by sequencing. Results: Babesia divergens DNA was detected in the blood of five cattle displaying clinical signs of babesiosis within a herd of twenty. This parasite was also detected in three of ten ticks removed from one of the affected cattle. In addition, A. phagocytophilum was detected in three cattle tested and two of ten of the ticks. Conclusions: An outbreak of bovine babesiosis during February is unusual as the tick vector, Ixodes ricinus, does not generally become active until temperatures rise later in the year. February of 2019 was unusual as average temperatures during the first week of the month reached over 10 °C, well above historical averages that are typically below 5 °C, and a temperature at which ticks can become active. This unusual weather event is likely to have triggered tick questing, that combined with a co-infection with two tick-borne pathogens caused the severe outbreak of disease. Keywords: Babesiosis, Babesia divergens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Background Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle that causes significant morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland [1]. The disease occurs sporadically with clinical signs ranging from fever and anorexia in mild cases, to a fatal condition with haemolytic *Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency (Weybridge), Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, Surrey, UK Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
anaemia, dehydration, diarrhoea and weakness [2]. The destruction of red blood cells by high parasite loads leads to release of haemoglobin that is passed in urine giving the disease its common name of redwater fever. A number of species within the genus Babesia cause bovine babesiosis with two, B. divergens [3] and B. major [4] being reported in the UK. The tick vector of B. divergens is the common sheep tick or pasture tick, Ixodes ricinus, a vector found across Europe [5].
© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attributio
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