1: Vet Rec. 2007 Jun 9;160(23):783-6. Links Babesiosis diagnosed in beef cattle in north-east England.Veterinary Laboratories Agency. PMID: 17595730
1: Parasitol Res. 1994;80(8):645-8.Links Experimental transmission of Babesia microti infection by the oral route.Malagon F, Tapia JL. Depto. de Microbiologia y Parasitologia, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico.
Previously we have described the transmission of malaria by the oral route in a murine model. Due to the similarities between Plasmodium and Babesia, we tried to reproduce oral transmission in parasites of the latter genus by ingestion of infected blood and by cannibalism. In the first case, experimental mice were inoculated orally with 20, 50, or 100 microliters of Babesia microti-infected blood, and in the second, each fasted experimental mouse was offered the corpse of an infected mouse serving as the bait inoculum. B. microti infection was acquired by 3.7% of all experimental animals orally inoculated with infected blood and by 15.1% of all mice inoculated by cannibalism. The approximate period of prepatency ran from 2 to 4 weeks. No control mouse acquired the infection. This represents the first time that oral transmission of babesiosis has been described. This kind of transmission may be present in nature. Babesiosis may be acquired and maintained in nature in the absence of ticks.
PMID: 7886033
1: Aust Vet J. 1976 Oct;52(10):446-50.Links
Infection rates and outbreaks of disease due to Babesia argentina in unvaccinated cattle on 5 beef properties in south-eastern Queensland.
Callow LL, Emmerson FR, Parker RJ, Knott SG. Serums from unvaccinated groups in 5 herds of beef-cattle in South-East Queensland were tested for antibodies to Babesia argentina at intervals while the cattle were increasing in age from about 6 months. An indirect fluorescent antibody test was used. Infection rates, indicating the proportions of the groups that had been exposed to tick-transmitted infection were 49.2, 56.9 and 69.1% for cattle aged approximately 6, 12 and 18 months, respectively. The degree to which cattle were infested with the vector, Boophilus microplus, was estimated. There appeared to be a strong correlation between infection rate and tick incidence. Four serologically negative animals died of either confirmed or suspected babesiosis during the sampling period. Sickness was observed in 5 others. The serological status of 57 changes from negative to positive without symptoms being observed, indicating relatively low mortality and morbidity rates in the enzootic situation studied.
PMID: 1016134 1: Wiad Parazytol. 1996;42(4):395-406.Links [Experimental infection of mice with Babesia microti: characterization of parasitemia][Article in Polish]
Konopka E, Siński E. Zakład Parazytologii Instytutu Zoologii UW, Warszawa.
The apicomplexa parasites of the genus Babesia, the etiologic agents of the disease not only in domestic and wild mammals but also in humans, live and reproduce in erythrocytes of the host. Transmission of Babesia species is by tick (Ixodidae) bite. In natural conditions, trans-stadial and trans-ovarian passage occurs in Ixodes ricinus infected with some species of Babesia, e.g. B. divergens. However, there is apparently trans-stadial passage of B. microti in Ixodes sp. only from larvae to nymphs, but trans-stadial passage from nymphs to adults or trans-ovarian passage has not been reported. The present study was undertaken to compare the parasitemia of B. microti infection in BALB/c and F1 (B10 x CBA) mice by two different methods: intraperitoneal injection of parasites or infection by the oral route. In both groups, experimental mice were inoculated with 5 x 10(7) infected erythrocytes in 100 microliters of blood. Babesia infection was acquired by all mice infected intraperitoneally with maximum 57% of parasitemia on day 6 post infection (pi) in F1 (B10 x CBA) mice and 40% of parasitemia on day 8 and 10 pi in BALB/c mice. Ten of 27 (37%) BALB/c mice infected by oral route showed low parasitemia (9%) during first two weeks pi. In this group of mice the pick of parasitemia (26%) was observed on day 22 pi. In both groups of infected mice the period of prepatency ended between days 35 and 40 pi. Experiments have confirmed that the maintenance of babesiosis may be continued in the absence of a tick vector. Demonstration, under experimental conditions, of infection of Babesia by oral route may suggest that in nature cannibalism of rodents, occurring under certain circumstances, can be considered as a natural way of oral transmission of B. microti.
PMID: 9103050
Posted by sizzled (Member # 1357) on :
Posted by James H (Member # 6380) on :
Hmmm... I've wondered about that myself.
You will notice they carefully avoided mention of the most common beef eating carnivores... humans! It brings into question the wisdom of eating it rare.
Of course on the West Coast I have noticed upscale restaurants have started serving another kind of meat rare... Pork!
They get really snoody and roll their eyes if you suggest the plate of nearly raw pork they set before you could be a health risk. They quickly point out that trichinosis has not been seen in the US since they stopped checking for it.
'Eat your plate of overpriced raw pork and quit complaining, you ignorant alarmist peon!' Posted by ByronSBell 2007 (Member # 11496) on :
Shouldn't be a problem if you cook your meat well...
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
quote:Originally posted by James H: Of course on the West Coast I have noticed upscale restaurants have started serving another kind of meat rare... Pork!
They're the ones who are ignorant!
Thanks, Sarah, for the abstract. I agree with sizzled: !
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