Virulence of Babesia bigemina in infected cattle (Bos taurus): Molecular and immunological studies

This study examined 400 tick-infested cattle from the following four governorates in Egypt: Faiyum, Beni Suef, Giza, and Minya. These cattle were examined for blood parasites between January 2021 and April 2022. The infected cattle were classified into four groups based on tick infestations and clinical signs. Blood was drawn for assessing oxidative stress markers as well as for parasitological examination and molecular analysis of the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia bigemina (B. bigemina). We performed a comparison of the levels of tumor necrosis factoralpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) between B. bigemina-infected blood samples and non-infected blood samples used as negative controls. Babesia spp. infection increases hemolysis, which in turn increases oxidative stress marker levels and cell-mediated immune response.

Automated summary

This study investigated the tick infestation and blood parasites in 400 cattle from four governorates in Egypt. The levels of oxidative stress markers and the expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in B. bigemina-infected cattle were compared with non-infected controls. The findings suggest that Babesia spp. infection leads to increased hemolysis, oxidative stress marker levels, and cell-mediated immune response.