Babesia bigemina
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| Babesia bigemina | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Babesia bigemina | ||||||||||||
| ( Smith & Kilborne 1893) |
Babesia bigemina is the largest Babesia species of cattle and causes a malaria-like protozoal disease in wild animals and domestic animals. The parasite, which isonlytransmittedby the common wood tick ( Ixodidae ),causes parasitosis or infection in cattle, as well as Texas fever . Up until now, human diseases have onlybeen diagnosedafter the spleen has beenremoved, but these usually lead to death.
morphology
Babesia are very small sporozoa that parasitize ( piroplasm ) in the red blood cells (erythrocytes ). Their blood forms measure 4 µm × 1.5 µm. The pairwise arrangement of the pear-shaped sporozoa in the erythrocytes is characteristic here. The species name bigemina (from Latin bigeminus , 'double, twice') is derived from these twin forms, which form an acute angle to each other . The forms of division can, however, also have a round, oval or irregular shape.
Harmful effect
The parasite infiltrates (penetrates) the erythrocytes and divides in them. It then destroys the host cell and infects new red blood cells during lysis . Typical clinical symptoms are a disturbed general condition, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, increased pulse rate and limb back pain. A specific symptom is the red to black-brown color of the urine due to hemoglobinuria . The disease can be fatal due to kidney failure.
literature
- Johannes Dönges: Parasitology. With special consideration of human pathogenic forms . 2nd revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-13-579902-6 .
- Heinz Mehlhorn, Dieter Düwel, Wolfgang Raether: Diagnosis and therapy of the parasites of pets, farm animals and pets . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart / New York 1996, ISBN 3-437-30493-3 .
- Sigrid Vogl: Molecular-phylogenetic differentiation of babesia of cattle . Dissertation, LMU Munich: Veterinary Faculty, 2004, urn : nbn: de: bvb: 19-18107