The Babesia divergens Asia Lineage Is Maintained through Enzootic Cycles between Ixodes persulcatus and Sika Deer in Hokkaido, Japan.

ABSTRACT: Parasites of the Babesiadivergens Asia lineage, which are closely related to B. divergens in Europe and Babesia sp. strain MO1 in the United States, were recently reported in sika deer (Cervus nippon) in eastern Japan. To identify the tick vector(s) for this parasite, we conducted a field survey in Hokkaido, Japan, where the infection rate in sika deer is the highest in the country. A specific PCR system which detects and discriminates between lineages within B. divergens and between those lineages and Babesia venatorum showed that Ixodes persulcatus (11/822), but not sympatric Ixodes ovatus (0/595) or Haemaphysalis sp. (0/163) ticks, carried B. divergens Asia lineage. Genomic DNA was archived from salivary glands of partially engorged I. persulcatus females and three isolates of B. diverg

SUBMITTER: Zamoto-Niikura A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5861815 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature