*Fatal experimental transplacental Babesia gibsoni infections in
dogs.*

Fukumoto S, Suzuki H, Igarashi I, Xuan X.

Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Graduate
School
of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
113-0033, Japan; National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases,
Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho,
Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.

A Babesia gibsoni infected ***** was mated with an uninfected dog
in
order to determine whether this parasite could be vertically
transmitted. The ***** delivered a litter of four live and one
stillborn
pup. The four pups died from congenital babesiosis between 14 and 39
days post-birth. Babesia gibsoni DNA was detected in tissue from all
five pups. These results show that vertical transmission occurred by
the
uterine route and not via the transmammary route. This is the first
confirmed report of transplacental Babesia infection in any animal
species.

The tick, Dermencentor variablilis mentioned as a transmitter is the American Dog Tick which transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Ann - OH
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Cleveland/

INTRODUCTION

Babesia sp. are protozoal organisms that parasitize erythrocytes, causing anemia in the host.

Many different species exist with varying host specificity (5). B. canis and B. gibsoni are two organisms commonly known to infect dogs.

Both organisms have Ixodid tick vectors and are found throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America, with B. canis being more prevalent (11).

Infection by B. gibsoni is increasing in frequency, particularly in North America, although no specific species of ticks in this region have been proven to transmit the disease.

However, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Dermacentor variabilis are believed to be potential vectors of disease (2).

There also is evidence that some direct animal-to-animal transmission may occur, as when an infected dog with oral abrasions bites a na�ve dog.