Maria Shahzeen1,§,Waseem Ijaz2,§, Asim Khalid Mahmood2 and Maryam Ijaz 1,*
1Institute of Zoology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan; 2Pet Centre, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan; §These authors contributed equally to this manuscript.
*Corresponding author: arzoomalik929@gmail.com
Babesia canis (B. canis) is a tick-borne apicomplexan parasite that infects erythrocytes, causing babesiosis in various domestic and wild animals, including cats. The present investigation was designed to report the PCR-based presence of B. canis in 159 cat blood samples collected from three pet clinics in Lahore (Pakistan). Data on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics (gender, age, body conditions, body temperature, mucous membrane, deworming, hematuria, vaccination, vomiting, tick infestation, hydration status, and sampling seasons) were collected through a questionnaire at the sampling site. Three out of 159 (1.9%) cats were found to be B. canis infected as they amplified a 450bp amplicon from the 18S rRNA gene of this parasite through PCR. All three parasite-positive cats were asymptomatic and apparently healthy. Risk factor analysis indicated that none of the studied parameters was associated with B. canis infection (P>0.05) among screened cats. In conclusion, this is the first epidemiologic study of B. canis infection in cats from Lahore, Pakistan. Although the prevalence found is low, the infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis in cats with compatible clinical signs.