Molecular evidence of zoonotic Babesia species, other than B. microti, in ixodid ticks collected from small mammals in the Republic of Korea

The occurrence of tick-borne infectious diseases, including zoonotic babesiosis, has become a serious concern in recent years. In this study, we detected Babesia spp. using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 18S rRNA of the parasites isolated from ixodid ticks collected from small mammals in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Sequence analysis of the PCR ampl icon revealed the presence of B. duncani, B. venatorum, B. capreoli/divergens, and, the most prevalent, B. microti in the ticks. The molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the four species-specific18S rRNA sequences clustered in four distinct clades. This is the first study to provide molecular evidence for the presence of zoonotic Babesia spp. other than B. microti in ticks in the ROK.

Automated summary

The study detected zoonotic Babesia spp. in ticks collected from small mammals in Korea, with B. microti being the most prevalent species. The molecular phylogenetic analysis showed that the species-specific 18S rRNA sequences clustered in distinct clades. This study provides the first molecular evidence of zoonotic Babesia spp. other than B. microti in ticks in Korea.